E-Safety information for parents – Facebook Messenger

9th August 2023L Forster

Millennials are Messenger’s largest audience group, with the 25–34 age bracket comprising around a third (32%) of the app’s user-base. That’s not to say it’s unpopular with youngsters, however. Back in 2017, Facebook tried to launch a version for under-12s – Messenger Kids – but it was met with negative feedback: particularly in the UK, where it remains unavailable.

Users as young as 13 (and in all probability, many who are even younger) having access to an app which lets them chat privately with each other, exchange photos and potentially be contacted by older people who they don’t know brings its own obvious issues.

Facebook Messenger is a communication app through which users can exchange messages and send photos, stickers, and video and audio files. Messenger allows both one-to-one and group chats, has a ‘stories’ feature and – via its latest addition, Rooms – can host a video call with up to 50 people. As of 2021, the app had 35 million users in the UK alone (more than half the population!) among its 1.3 billion users worldwide. Whereas Messenger is integrated into Facebook on desktops and laptops, it has existed as a standalone app for mobile devices since 2011.

In the guide, you’ll find tips on a number of potential risks such as addiction, strangers and secret conversations.

https://nationalcollege.com/

E-Safety information for parents – Group Chats

2nd August 2023L Forster

Currently, group chatting is most popular among Millennials. Data from the USA, for example, reports that – whether they’re using WhatsApp, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger or any other platform – almost half (44%) of that 18–34 age bracket take part in at least one collective online conversation every day.

 

This is relevant because, of course, the schoolchildren of today are the 18–34s of tomorrow. Just like the current crop, online group communication will facilitate their blossoming social lives and expanding friendship networks.

Occurring through messaging apps, on social media and in online games, group chats are among the most popular ways that young people engage with their peers online. Involving, by definition, three or more individuals, these groups allow users to send messages, images and videos to everyone in one place. While they are useful for helping friends, people with shared interests or members of a club to communicate and coordinate activities, they can also leave young people feeling excluded and bullied – as well as providing opportunities for inappropriate content to be shared and viewed.

https://nationalcollege.com/

E-Safety information for parents – Loneliness Online

26th July 2023L Forster

Does a child you know ever feel lonely when they’re online? In a study by the UK’s Office for National Statistics, 14% of 10–12-year-olds said that they DID often feel lonely – so any child experiencing those feelings is, sadly, far from unusual. To support Mental Health Awareness Week – which this year has the theme of ‘loneliness’ – we spoke to a group of children and teenagers, who told us some of the things that make them feel isolated when they’re online. They also suggested some ways they use technology to make themselves feel better when that happens, and we’ve compiled their ideas into a loneliness-busting #WakeUpWednesday guide.

In the guide, you’ll find tips such as taking breaks, playing single-player games and listening to your favourite audiobooks.

Research by the Mental Health Foundation found that loneliness has been exacerbated by the Covid pandemic, with more people experiencing it to an even more severe degree. This increased loneliness has contributed to higher levels of distress, resulting from people’s heightened feelings of isolation and diminished ability to connect with others.

 

The online world can help us feel more connected to people – but it can also leave us feeling even more cut off. For this week’s special #WakeUpWednesday guide, we canvassed the opinions of a group of young people, who told us what makes them feel lonely online … and how they use their digital devices to lift their spirits

https://nationalcollege.com/

E-Safety information for parents – Cross-Platform Sharing of Inappropriate Content

19th July 2023L Forster

In 2017, having been alerted to large quantities of videos which – at first glance – were geared to pre-schoolers but in fact featured disturbing images, YouTube pledged to purge itself of “content that attempts to pass as family friendly, but clearly is not.” Almost as quickly as platforms like YouTube can remove these videos, however, others are being uploaded in their place.

 

Many of these clips evade automated filters by using child-friendly search tags. Others are deliberately designed to resemble normal episodes of, say, Peppa Pig, but include violent or sexual content. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide this week examines the potential dangers when inappropriate content begins to be shared across different platforms.

Creepy characters like Slender Man or Huggy Wuggy. Dangerous online challenges. Songs or videos that aren’t suitable for youngsters. When things like these begin trending online, it can be difficult to prevent children accidently stumbling across them – especially if they use a range of platforms, like online games, social media, streaming sites or messaging apps. A trend can originate in one online space and rapidly spread to other platforms or via chat apps. The frightening Huggy Wuggy character, for instance, first emerged as part of a game on Steam; now there are parody songs on TikTok, videos on YouTube and more than 45,000 results for #huggywuggy on Instagram.

In the guide, you’ll find tips on a number of potential risks such as accidental exposure, inappropriate language and unsuitable videos.

https://nationalcollege.com/

E-Safety information for parents – Rumble

6th July 2023L Forster

Big names, challenging opinions and comparatively lenient censorship 📢 Rumble is a video-sharing platform which has achieved stellar growth in recent years – as well as drawing a similarly eye-catching amount of criticism for the views of some of its best-known account holders 🤬

As our #WakeUpWednesday guide this week explains, young users of the app (even ones who are over the recommended age limit) may encounter hazards including political bias, potentially harmful misinformation and inappropriate content if they stumble across Rumble.

Conceived as giving independent content creators equal representation in the online space, Rumble has found something of a niche in restoring a voice to influencers who have been blocked from similar platforms. It’s become particularly renowned as a forum for political debate, with some prominent account holders’ choice of subject matter attracting a degree of notoriety.

Indeed, a study by the USA’s Pew Research Centre found that the platform’s most popular topics included gun laws, the January 2021 Capitol riots and Covid vaccines. Many parents and carers may feel that these sensitive topics – when addressed in a less-than-sensitive manner – aren’t suitable for young users. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide attempts to get a feel for Rumble.

https://nationalcollege.com

Winter Workshop

13th December 2021Emma Adams

Year 1 had a great time taking part in a ‘Winter Warmer Workshop’ with Sandra. Having learnt about fire safety, the children then lit fires and toasted their own marshmallows. Yum!

Helping to decide appropriate content – movies, TV, games and books

7th October 2021L Forster

It has become apparent that children are playing games on the yard inspired by the new Netflix show ‘Squid Game‘ – rated 15. While the games the children are playing at school have not currently caused concern (mainly chasing, tag type games), the content of the programme may not be age appropriate.

To help gauge if content (movies, TV shows, video games, books, etc) is appropriate, the website Common Sense Media is a great place to help. It gives reviews from both parents and children about what age they think the content is best suited for and gives reasons for their opinions.

Water Treatment Visitor in Year 4

21st May 2021S Robson

As part of Year 4’s Geography topic about Water this half term, our classes were visited by Mr Robson, a civil engineer.

We found out why water from lakes and reservoirs needs to be treated before it can be used for drinking, and the processes it must go through in a water treatment works. Talking about water for health was very interesting to us, and we also discussed how things like wipes or fatty liquids should not be flushed down the toilet or kitchen sink. We now know that chlorine is added at the chlorination stage to disinfect the water as it travels through pipes, and that we are drinking the same water that the dinosaurs drank, because of the water cycle!