Cyber Habits

We are aware that many of our students will spend time playing computer games either online or offline. These can be a fun way for our students to take some down time or spend time with their friends. While acknowledging that gaming does provide these positive benefits, we also want to work with you, the parents, in keeping our students safe in this space.

The eSafety Commissioner provides easily accessible and up to date information for parents concerning both the benefits and the risks of this passtime. Below is a summary of some of the information provided on creating a safe environment for your child to participate in gaming.

1. Prepare:

   1. Ensure devices are kept in an area of the house that is supervised and out of bedrooms

   2. Ensure devices are protected from malware and viruses etc.

   3. Ensure parental controls are activated to keep your children safe from content not appropriate for there viewing

2. Build Good Habits:

   1. Ensure your child’s privacy is protected

   2. Ensure your child is not clicking on links provided by people they don’t know in the real world

   3. Help your child set and maintain healthy screen time limits and encourage them to be physically active and catching up with their friends in the real world too.

3. Stay Involved

   1. Ensure your child understands the risks of online gaming

   2. Keep the conversation open regarding what they are playing and who they are playing with

   3. Ensure they have a healthy balance of on screen and off screen activities

   4. Pay attention to any changes in activity, mood or behaviour.

   5. Create a safe space for your child to share if they experience anything that concerns them or makes them feel uncomfortable

4. Be Aware of What they are Playing

   1. Ensure the games are appropriate for the age of your child - these classifications are provided to keep children safe

   2. This link will take you to a site entitled ‘Does Your Child Play Violent Video Games?’

5. Empower Them

   1. Have open conversations with your children and as they get older, help them to make wise decisions for themselves

   2. Help them with strategies to manage negative experiences they may have online. Some ideas around this can be found at this link.

If you would like some more information on this topic, please click on this link.

Parent Webinars

The eSafety Commissioner also runs excellent parent webinars on this and other topics. I would highly recommend these to support you in your parenting as you support and protect your children in this online space. You can access these via this link found on the eSafety Commissioner website.