Risks and concerns
The internet has become an integral part of life for people of all ages. It provides access to a myriad of information and enables people to research, create and communicate in new and exciting ways. For children and young people the internet has become essential to learning, playing and socialising, with many of them using computers and the internet from an increasingly early age.
But there are risks. Children may—unwittingly or deliberately—share personal information without realising that they could be subject to identity theft, or that they are leaving behind content which might not reflect well on them in the future. They might be exposed to content which is sexually explicit, violent, prohibited or even illegal. They might experience cyberbullying or be at risk from contact by strangers. Teenagers, in particular, might be caught out by the commercial side of the internet—through advertising, scams or through sharing downloads of music or television programs.
Parents can play a critical role in helping their children have safe and positive experiences online. You can do this by becoming aware of how children and young people use the internet, what they use it for, the risks in being online and some of the strategies to manage these risks.
Each of the following sections contains information about the risks and what parents can do to help their children: