Young broadband users 'want advice to help them stay safe online'Tuesday, September 8th 2009 New research highlights the importance of making sure youngsters are being safe when using the internet. As young people become increasingly web-savvy and have greater access to broadband connections via their mobile phones and game consoles, it is important that they are provided with information about how to stay safe when surfing the web.
Recent research by telecom watchdog Ofcom highlighted that over half of 11 to 16 year olds say that young people need more advice about how to protect their online privacy.
Just over a fifth want more information on how to avoid inappropriate content, while a similar number are concerned about cyber bullying.
However, the most commonly-sought advice is how to keep information such as PIN numbers and passwords safe, with 28 per cent of the youngsters questioned wanting more guidance on this topic.
Despite these findings, almost a quarter of young broadband users say no-one has ever talked to them about online safety.
Parents and carers appear to be confident that they have enough internet know-how to advise their youngsters, but one in ten feel they need a bit more guidance, especially regarding the more technical aspects, such as filters, controls and how to set up page blocks.
In response to the call for help, Ofcom has published two new guides, one for mobile phones and one for games consoles and portable media players, which it claims will tell parents and carers all they need to know about how to use parental controls and how to report inappropriate content.
Further advice on the matter comes from Catherine Hanly, editor of parenting site RaisingKids.co.uk, who suggests that young children should not have a computer with a broadband connection in their bedroom, but rather in a place where their parents can see what they are up to.
"You have to make them aware of the fact that the friends they meet online may not be the people they say they are," she added, saying that some parents are shocked by the amount of information their offspring will give away freely online.
Do you think kids need more guidance on how to be safe online?
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