Every week e-safety adviser Alan Mackenzie sends me weekly updates. They are useful teaching resources but also parent guides to keep you up to date with current trends.
Here are a few tips from this week’s updates:
Adult Content – Age Verification
At last, after all these years, age verification for access to adult content sites (and apps that allow adult content) comes into force on 25th July as part of the Online Safety Act. When you consider that 8% of children aged 8 to 14 have viewed online adult content this really can’t come soon enough. This was supposed to be enacted a few years ago but was cancelled by David Cameron the day before the new law was enacted.
Is this a solution? No, far from it, it definitely won’t stop those who are determined or curious, but it’s a step in the right direction, a step we’ve never had before. But there’s more, this part of the Act also requires providers to prevent children from accessing (or being recommended) legal but potentially harmful content.
Will all of this work? Only time will tell.
New Report – Under the Influence
In the words of Revealing Reality, the line between entertainment and information is increasingly blurred. Their feeds mix memes, adverts, news and opinion, all delivered in the same format, often by the same creators……Content with high production value must be credible, something with thousands of likes must be true, if an algorithm gives you more of the same it must be helpful. This is what children believe and it influences their behaviour.
This is a new report from Revealing Reality which I only came across yesterday. I haven’t had a chance to read through it yet but if it’s like their previous reports it will make for a very interesting read. You can download the report HERE.
For Parents – Moving to Secondary School
For many children, the move from primary to secondary school has many ‘firsts’, including digital firsts. Internet Matters have a wonderful guide for parents to help with that transition from primary to secondary school, all digital and online related.
You can find the guide HERE.
