January 24, 2014
Local parents can help make sure that their children have positive experiences online by picking up a Cyber Safety Kit from the offices of Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester.
Mr Chester said the kits have been developed by Telstra to help concerned parents better engage with their children about cyber safety.
There is a kit aimed at parents, as well as a kit for children and one for teenagers. All are available free of charge.
Mr Chester said it was important for parents to take a close interest in cyber safety with an estimated 2.2 million Australian children actively engaged in online activities.
“The internet is a great resource and can be an educational tool but it is open to inappropriate activity and parents must be aware of the risks involved,” Mr Chester said.
“It is becomingly increasingly difficult for parents to keep up with new developments in technology.
“Social networking platforms are a major form of communication for young people but they do carry particular risks and personal information can be obtained quite easily if young people don’t use appropriate privacy settings to protect themselves.
“As parents we have a duty of care to make sure that we build our children’s resilience so that they are capable of dealing with online risks and we also need to encourage them to act responsibly online and report any suspicious activities.”
The Telstra Cyber Safety Kits are available at Mr Chester’s offices at 36 Macarthur St, Sale, and 126 Franklin St, Traralgon. Kits can also be requested by phoning 1300 131 785 or emailing darren.chester.mp@aph.gov.au