Tech for Christmas
After our Google Summit last Friday, many of the teachers have been excited to learn more about technology developments & have the opportunity to try new things out in the classroom. While technology brings so much potential, we also have to be aware of the dangers.
On Monday 4th December Police Scotland will visit ISA to speak to Middle School students about cyber safety. In the afternoon they will present to parents, and I would strongly encourage parents of all ages to come along and find out more about our student’s online lives and how we can speak to them, support them & protect them online. Last week I was at a meeting of IT Directors from independent schools across Scotland and we had a presentation from Police Scotland cyber prevention team; if that presentation is anything to go by, the session will be very worthwhile.
The topics covered when I heard from them were image sharing, grooming & cyber bullying. While I’m well aware of technology use by our students, it was really eye opening for me. They were able to give a different perspective on each of these topics, along with some alarming statistics.
For example, the majority of ‘self-generated’ indecent images shared online are of 11-13 year old age girls - these are images that girls have taken themselves and then uploaded, shared or streamed online. Alarmingly, in the first 6 months of 2022 (the latest available statistics) almost 20,000 self-generated sexual abuse images of 7-10 year old age girls were found, and this is the fastest growing age group. The police explained to us that when questioned girls often say that they wanted to share the image, but stressed that at either of these age groups they are not yet able to ‘consent’ and understand the consequences of this.
When grooming is mentioned, the classic thought is of an old man luring a young girl to meet him, but again these perceptions were challenged as a video was shown to draw our attention to the risk of grooming by ‘older children’ or young people. An example was given of a boy with an online ‘friend’ through gaming, who was in fact a 19 year old who gradually groomed and turned him away from his parents and his studies, promising a career in coding, before eventually meeting him in real life with terrible consequences.
In the past year, with the introduction of advanced artificial intelligence systems we are very aware of the pace of technology developments. However, I came away with a real awareness that the risks for our students are also changing and developing as they have access to smartphones and social media at a younger and younger age.
As teachers and a school we do all we can to help our students navigate this online world, but parents have an important role to play and that begins with understanding more about our children’s online lives. To students today there is no line between offline and online; friendships and social lives cross between the two. In the past we came home from school and switched off but there is now no off switch, no ‘escape’ and the intensity of social media is a constant in their lives.
A first phone for Christmas?
Tech for Christmas was the headline, and that is because I would ask all parents who are considering giving their child a first phone for Christmas, to think about the dangers first. Smartphones can be addictive and spending too much time on screens can interfere with children's sleep, schoolwork, and social relationships. They also give children access to a vast amount of information, including inappropriate content such as pornography and violence. This exposure can be harmful to children's development and can lead to risky behaviours. They also, as I am sure the presentation on Monday will stress, open children up to cyberbullying and constant ‘approval-seeking’ which can have a devastating impact on their mental and emotional health.
While it is clearly an individual decision, (and I am not suggesting any specific age that a smartphone is suitable), I would urge you to consider whether it is really helpful for your child, or if waiting until they are older will allow them more freedom to enjoy their childhood away from the pressures that a smartphone can bring. If keeping in contact with your child is important to you there are ‘dumb phones’ available which merely provide traditional phone calls, without social media & internet browsing. If you are giving them a phone, consider what protections you put in place - see the next section.
They already have a phone?
It’s not too late to make changes, to open conversations with your children and to consider, perhaps in discussion with them, what limits on use might be best for their mental health. Remember that most social media apps have age limits - snapchat and tiktok both have a minimum age of 13, so if your child is under 13 you might want to use this ‘legal’ argument to limit access to these apps. You may be surprised to hear that Whatsapp has an age limit of 16.
There are some simple moves you can make to apply screen time limits on devices, or limit app availability - I would recommend a gradual, controlled introduction to social media apps. Be aware of how easy it is for them to hide what is going on to you - most teenagers have at least two instagram profiles - their ‘rinsta’ (real insta) and ‘finsta’ (fake insta) - so if you follow them on social media you might not be seeing the full story. Try to make yourself aware of the dangers and create an environment where your children can speak to you and share any concerns.
One tip that I would share is to have a ‘switch off’ time when all devices are left in a central point in the house - not in the bedroom - giving space for good sleep and dedicated time away from screens.
Despite the potential risks, the digital world offers a wealth of opportunities for our students, and is a valuable tool for learning, communication and entertainment. As parents and teachers, our role is to empower them to navigate this online landscape safely and responsibly as and when it is appropriate. By fostering open communication, establishing clear expectations, and providing guidance, we can help our students embrace the positive aspects of technology while protecting themselves from harm.
I hope that the visit from Police Scotland next week will prove a positive step towards helping our students navigate the online world safely and responsibly, and equipping parents and teachers with information to support them in this.
Sources:
Self generated Image use: Internet Watch Foundation
Police Scotland Cyber Prevention Team (PC Syed Hussain & PC Kasia Owczarek)
Further Information:
Think U Know (site by CEOP - Child Exploitation and Online Protection)
NSPCC Online Safety (National Society for Protection of Cruelty to Children)
Wait until 8th - US based campaign to delay smartphone introduction
Police Scotland Safer Comms - @pssafercomms
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