Webwise Ireland launch a new internet safety guide for parents

For Safer Internet Day 2017, Webwise hosted a live parenting panel discussion in Facebook HQ, Dublin to launch a new advice guide for parents on internet safety. The guide offers parents information, advice and conversation starters about the benefits and risks children need to be aware of when using the internet. Topics explored in the guide include cyberbullying, screen time, sexting, social media and online pornography.

Date 2017-03-22 Author Irish Safer Internet Centre
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The Parents' Guide to a Better Internet is also supported by a new online hub for parents. Webwise Parents offers additional support for parents including video interviews with parenting experts and talking points on topics that can be difficult to discuss with children, including sexting and online pornography.

Tips for gradually introducing technology to your child from PDST Technology in Education on Vimeo.

A new survey of parental attitudes to children's use of the internet, launched to mark Safer Internet Day 2017 highlighted the concerns and attitudes of parents in relation to their children's use of the internet.

The survey addressed four main topics:

  1. Strategies for digital parenting.
  2. Attitudes towards children's internet use.
  3. Concerns about online risks.
  4. Appropriate age for social networking.

The survey, conducted by Webwise in collaboration with the National Parents Council Primary, revealed three quarters of parents (74 per cent) believe using the internet is important for their child's education, yet only a quarter (25 per cent) believe that the benefits of the internet outweigh any risks for their child. Furthermore, parents are quite confident about their own abilities and only 16 per cent say their child knows more about using the internet than they do. At the same time, just a third say they can protect their children when they are online.

The key findings are shown in the infographic below:

Webwise Ireland infographic for Safer Internet Day 2017

View the full results on the Webwise website.

Find out more about the work of the Irish Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline and youth participation services.

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