Education and open communication with children continue to be crucial to protect young people online regardless of social media bans, an ACU expert has stressed on Safer Internet Day.
Digital literacies expert Professor Kathy Mills, of ACU's Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education, said knowing how to use digital media and the internet safely were critically important life skills for children.
"I would advise parents not to have a false sense of security because of social media bans for under 16s. Many of the online safety skills that kids need are required beyond social media sites," she said.
"Digital media use, both online and offline, can be used for many productive, creative, educational, and social tasks. Digital technology is unavoidable for most age-groups, so it is about kids learning to thrive in a digital age.
"Developing the critical skills that children need is vital, gradually releasing responsibility to them to interact safely with digital tools as they mature."
Professor Mills said the impact of online influencers and the evolving AI landscape were key areas warranting discussion and education.
"Talk non-judgementally with children about influencers and encourage them to look for influencers who promote positive values. They should be aware of filters, AI imagery, and other tools that are used to airbrush and generate content that is not reality. Teach them to be sceptical of unrealistic beauty standards and shallow content. They should ask, 'How might the influencer benefit from sharing this content?'" she said.
"A key skill they need with GenAI chatbots and the internet is to read it critically. Teach them to fact-check like a professional fact-checker by reading horizontally – that means they should always compare what they read to three reliable sources. Teach pre-teens and teens to ask three questions, 'Who is behind it, what is the evidence for its claims, and what do other sources say?'"
To coincide with global Safer Internet Day (February 11), Professor Mills has compiled 12 key tips to help families with children at different ages and stages of online experience:
