Navigating the digital world with your child

The importance of coexisting At Ibstock Place, our pupils learn to look after their wellbeing. One important aspect of wellbeing is digital wellbeing. Part of being comfortable with technology is knowing the time and place for these tools and using them correctly and safely. Social media apps can sometimes feel confusing or potentially worrying for many parents, but with the right know-how parents may be able to empower themselves to help their child navigate them successfully. As children begin to develop their own identity, it’s normal for them to rely more on interactions with their peers in person and online. This is a vital stage of development for children’s minds and helps them prepare for the adult world. It can be a worrying time for parents as children become more independent, especially when they start to explore and experiment with the online world, a world that some of us aren’t as familiar with as we would like to be. We know it has become normal for our pupils to spend a huge amount of time connecting and conversing online and adults need as much information as possible to enable a supportive and safe environment to be created for them. This guide will show you the available features for the most commonly used apps amongst teens, which we hope will improve your knowledge and give you the confidence to coexist in your child’s online life. Your child will face all kinds of challenges as they mature, but you can give them the tools to stay safe and make informed decisions online. You may be using the same apps or platforms as your child, but they may well be using them in different ways and for different reasons. For parents, concerns about potential risks to your child’s well-being and safety, both online and off, are never far away.

It is important for all parents to understand that social media is designed to attract as much of your child’s time and attention as possible.

Parents have a crucial role to play here in encouraging open and honest conversations with their children about what they get up to online. A good starting point might be some of the questions below:

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What do you do online?

• What are you currently spending most of your time on? • What would you like to be doing more of, or what makes you feel good or not so good? By coexisting in your child’s online life, it’ll be much easier for you to talk to them about all the steps they can take to have safe and positive experiences online. Knowing that you will be there if things don’t go according to plan will also help ensure that your child feels able to talk to you if they’ve seen or experienced something online that makes them feel uncomfortable.

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