Young children are online before we know it. Being online has many benefits for young children including opportunities to improve their language skills, solve problems and think critically. But there may be risks if young children use connected devices without supervision or for extended periods of time.
Key Advice:
Stay safe: Set up devices safety and ensure they are used in communal areas.
Be Kind: Encourage positive online behaviour. Model good habits around device use.
Ask for help: Teach your child to ask for help and let them know they can come to you with issues.
Manage screen time: Decide on the right amount of time and use a timer or a screen time monitor that blocks access. This is especially useful for very young children as they see it as the device turning off.
For more information on online safety visit esafety.gov.au section parents. There is a lot of information for all age groups from under 5’s to teenagers.