Keep your Child
Healthy & Safe Online
Keeping your son or daughter safe online:
Review the OCSB Responsible use Policy with your son or daughter every year. (OCSB Responsible Use of Tech Agreement Digital Form Submission Process)
Consider these Suggestions for Tech Use at Home (Parent Controls for Web Browsing)
Be aware of the dangers of sharing personal information.
Encourage reporting of inappropriate content.
Remind your child that bullying occurs online. Encourage positive, polite and affirming relationships online and elsewhere.
Youth should be aware that there are legal implications and consequences to the inappropriate use of images, cyberbullying, plagiarism and hacking.
Plagiarism occurs when a student uses another person’s work or ideas and represents it as their own. It is a serious offence of academic dishonesty and can be grounds for dismissal from most colleges and universities. The internet has made it easy to copy other people’s work. As such, it is important that we teach students how to properly credit sources and how to generate and share their own ideas.
Remind your son or daughter to keep their passwords secret.
Digital Citizenship and Safety resources for families and students
Help your family be safe and smart online: The Be Internet Awesome Family Guide gives families the tools and resources to learn about online safety and citizenship at home. We’ve created this guide for families to make it easier to incorporate and practice good digital habits in your everyday lives. Packed with good stuff, this guide will help you and your kids discuss, learn, and think about online safety together.
Play your way to Internet Awesome: Interland is a playful online game that makes learning about digital safety and citizenship interactive and fun — just like the Internet itself. Here, kids will help their fellow Internauts combat the badly behaved hackers, phishers, oversharers and bullies by practicing the skills they need to be good digital citizens.
MediaSmarts has been developing digital media literacy programs and resources for Canadian homes, schools and communities since 1996. Their website offers educational resources, research, policy, helpful family guides, and much more.
The Privacy Commissioner of Canada is an Agent of Parliament whose mission is to protect and promote privacy rights.
‘Common Sense Media’ A website that deals frankly with issues relating to social media such as sexting and cyberbullying. As well, it includes movie, book, and video game reviews specifically to help parents make decisions about their appropriateness for their child or adolescent. www.commonsensemedia.org
Digital Health
Monitor Screen time
Be aware of how much time your child spends online. You can set a schedule for family time when everyone unplugs. Negotiate a time prior to bedtime when your child can turn off their devices.
Blue light and ongoing notifications can have an effect on sleep. Suggest a suitable place to store electronic devices to avoid disrupting sleep patterns.
Go to: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side for an article outlining the risks associated with too much blue light at night.
Encourage a healthy balance to leisure time. Ensure that your child has time for outside play.
These one page handouts provide valuable suggestions to parents around topics such as:
Helping kids get enough sleep
Managing screen time
The mental benefits of physical activity
Talking to teens
Helping teens with stress
Sleep Hygiene
Sleep Hygiene? What does this have to do with technology? Actually, the answer is everything.
Defending the last hour of sleep is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family. In Learning Technologies we are strong proponents of the effective use of technology. This does not mean staying up late playing video games and accessing social media. Access to the blue light of screens should be limited to an hour before sleep. The lack of sleep can be insidious. Over time it can create a sleep deficit that results in a cognitive deficit and an inability to concentrate. Have your kids read a book instead and get some sleep so that they can get back to al the effective use of technology that we promote!
A Simple Protocol to Help you Sleep better (Dr. Greg Wells)
‘The Sneaky Ways that Blue Light Affects Kids and Sleep’ (The Sleep Foundation)
Digital Media and Sleep in Childhood and Adolescence (Pediatrics)
Evening Screen Time Can Sabotage Sleep (Science News for Students)
VIDEO GAMES
While it may be very frustrating to constantly hound your kids to get off of their console on online games, there is some research that there are benefits! Among others, youth may benefit from improved coordination, increased problem-solving skills, improved social skills, and enhanced brain speed and processing. E-Sports athletes are even getting access to scholarships and internships in Universities and business. However, balance is key. Playing video games until 1:00 am isn’t good for anyone and can lead to chronic sleep deprivation. Overplaying can mean kids are choosing screentime over physical activity.
As a parent, helping your kids time-manage, and protecting their last hour before bed by avoiding screentime is key. Getting to the next level or playing just one more hour will always be more interesting than going to bed and reading a book. If self-regulation is an issue, you may need to help them schedule balance into their life. If you ask them to play less, help them choose different activities that are physical and/or family-related. The site gamequitters.com has supports for parents that can be used to gauge if your child is struggling with a rare full-on addiction. Even if they don’t there are many supports to help with time management and regulation.
Catholic School Parents Association - Partnership
Humane Use Media (2).pdfHumane Use of Techology
Please note: Video for presentations available of CPSA's Facebook Site.
Additional Information
Helpful Websites for parents:
‘Cyberbullying’ http://www.prevnet.ca/bullying/cyber-bullying
‘Kidsmart’ A UK website to encourage digital literacy. http://www.kidsmart.org.uk/beingsmart/
TVO - The education section of TV Ontario’s website includes homework help, lessons, articles about current practices in education and mPower (a math game). www.tvo.org/education
Get Cyber Safe - This website from the federal government provides a digital citizenship guide for parents. GetCyberSafe
This website provides a wealth of excellent information to support parents with a variety of common parenting issues. https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/videos