A Parents' Guide to Technology launched

07 Dec 2011 UK SIC

A Parents’ Guide to Technology is an online resource from the UK Safer Internet Centre providing advice for parents about the benefits, capabilities and potential risks of smartphones, gaming devices, tablets and internet-enabled media players. It introduces some of the most popular devices, such as the BlackBerry,  iPhone, iPod Touch and 3DS, highlighting safety tools that are available, as well as setting out top tips to help parents encourage their children to stay safe when using these technologies.

In our work in schools we are increasingly hearing questions from parents about particular devices that their children are using – or perhaps would like to have for Christmas! Many young people experience internet-enabled technologies as a positive and integral part of their lives, but parents are not always aware of the capabilities and issues raised by different devices.

We know that it is often challenging for parents and carers to keep up with what their children are doing online, to supervise what they are viewing, who they are chatting to, what games they are playing and what they are downloading, and even more so now that the internet can be accessed from a wide range of devices.

Recent research from Ofcom shows that a large number of British 5-15s are using a range of internet-enabled technologies to go online:

4 in 5 via a PC/laptop

1 in 5 via a games console

1 in 7 via a mobile phone

1 in 14 via a portable media player

1 in 50 via a tablet

With these devices increasingly making it onto the Christmas wishlist of many young people in the UK, A Parent’s Guide to Technology will help parents and carers support their children to use these technologies safely and positively.