Most parents want to help their child achieve a healthy balance in their online and offline activities.  The website of the eSafety Commissioner is a great resource for parents, containing many informative articles and links. The link provided below is for parents and carers, covering online time in general. 

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/big-issues/time-online

How much time is too much? 

There is no magic figure. The right amount of screen time can depend on a range of factors like your child’s age and maturity, the kind of content they are consuming, their learning needs and your family routine. 

It can be easy to focus only on the clock, but the quality and nature of what they are doing online, and your involvement, are just as important. 

Consider your child’s screen use in the context of their overall health and wellbeing. For example, is online time getting in the way of their sleep and exercise? Is it impacting on their face-to-face connections with family and friends? The answers to these questions will guide you and help strike the right balance of online and offline activities for your child. 

Signs to watch for: 

Signs that your child’s online activity may be having a negative impact on them or on your family include: 

* less interest in social activities like meeting friends or playing sport 

* not doing so well at school
* tiredness, sleep disturbance, headaches, eye strain
* changes in eating patterns
* reduced personal hygiene
* obsession with particular websites or games
* extreme anger when being asked to take a break from online activity
* appearing anxious or irritable when away from the computer/device
* becoming withdrawn from friends and family 

Unwanted Contact on Online Games 

Socialising online can be a great way for children to build friendships, but it can also put them at risk. Unwanted contact is any type of online communication that your child finds unpleasant or upsetting, or that leads them into a situation where they may be unsafe. This can happen even if they initially welcomed the contact. It can come from strangers, online ‘friends’ your child has not met face-to- face, or from someone they actually know. 

How to deal with unwanted contact 

If someone is contacting your child and this contact is unwanted or makes them feel uncomfortable, here are some things you can do to help: 

* Make their accounts private
* Delete contacts they don’t really know
* Report and block
* Delete requests from strangers
* Stay involved in your child’s digital world
* Build an open trusting relationship
* Help your child to protect their privacy
* Teach your child to be alert to signs of inappropriate contact 

For further information on how to keep your child safe with online games and social media use the following links: 

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/big-issues/unwanted-contact

https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/esafety-guide

Mike Shaw
Assistant Principal - Innovative Teaching and Learning