Every year on Christmas Eve, millions of children excitedly track Father Christmas’s journey delivering presents around the world. Logging on to their iPad or smartphones, they use GPS to find the exact location of Saint Nick (visit santatracker.google.com). But while nine million children are comfortable using location setting apps to track their favourite person on a solo journey the question for parents is, are you? Did you bag a bargain this year on new tech? With retailers slashing prices for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you may have purchased a new smart device for your child this Christmas. Did you know that when you set up your child’s new bit of Christmas tech, many of the apps will automatically offer the opportunity to share your location. This article looks at the issues you need to consider before deciding whether to share your child’s location…as well as recommended apps for location tracking. App access Be aware of what apps your child uses as some can reveal their location to lots of people, for example, Snapchat maps. This can reveal their location to their whole friends’ list, but also make children feel like they are missing out – for example, their friends are all at a pop concert when they are at home. You can choose privacy settings that are right for them by blocking some apps from accessing your child’s location while enabling others. Visit the Internet Matters Control Guides website (www.internetmatters.org/parental- controls) to learn how. Location zones Some apps, like Family Time (https:// familytime.io), send parents notifications when their child strays out of an agreed geographical zone. This might be a good option for parents who want to keep an eye on their children’s whereabouts, without feeling like they’re invading their privacy. This can be a good tool to establish boundaries with your child and as they get older and gain more independence. It’s a good idea to schedule in checkpoints of when to review the boundaries set so they work for both of you. Building trust Whether you decide to disable the location settings within the phone or install apps specifically designed to help you keep track of your child’s location, you should be honest and open with your child. It’s vital you tell them whether you’re tracking their movements or not, and the reasons behind it. You can set rules about when you will be checking their location, for example, if they are late home or not responsive. Age and privacy Lots of parents want to see where their younger children are when they’re out alone or with friends, using a well-known app like Boomerang (http://nationaledtech.com) or Qustodio (https://www.qustodio.com/en). However, as children get older, they will want to find their own independence. It’s important that if you have installed a tracking app on your child’s phone, you have regular conversations with them as they get older, so they understand why you’re doing it and listen to their point of view. Real time updates If you feel like your child is vulnerable to sharing too much online, you can install apps to monitor what they are sharing and with whom. Encourage your children to not share their location or images in real-time so they don’t give away their location to people they don’t know. Talk about what the potential risks are if they do and what they can do to if it does happen, i.e. review privacy settings, review friends list to ensure they share with only people they know. Apps have limitations You’ll never be able to fully monitor your child’s whereabouts through their smart device, so it’s important to create an environment where your child is able to share what they’ve been up to and any concerns they may have. Children can get around tracking technology by simply leaving their phone at a friend’s house. Online Safety Update ISSUE 23 DECEMBER 18 Prince Albert Community Trust New tech for Christmas? WWW.PACT.BHAM.SCH.UK @thePA_CT New tech for Christmas?
Transcript
Every year on Christmas Eve, millions of children excitedly track Father Christmas’s journey delivering presents around the world. Logging on to their iPad or smartphones, they use GPS to find the exact location of Saint Nick (visit santatracker.google.com).
But while nine million children are comfortable using location setting apps to track their favourite person on a solo journey the question for parents is, are you?
Did you bag a bargain this year on new tech? With retailers slashing prices for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you may have purchased a new smart device for your child this Christmas.
Did you know that when you set up your child’s new bit of Christmas tech, many of the apps will automatically offer the opportunity to share your location.
This article looks at the issues you need to consider before deciding whether to share your child’s location…as well as recommended apps for location tracking.
App access Be aware of what apps your child uses as
some can reveal their location to lots of people, for example, Snapchat maps. This can reveal their location to their whole friends’ list, but also make children feel like they are missing out – for example, their friends are all at a pop concert when they are at home. You can choose privacy settings that are right for them by blocking some apps from accessing
your child’s location while enabling others. Visit the Internet Matters Control Guides website (www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls) to learn how.
Location zones Some apps, like Family Time (https://
familytime.io), send parents notifications when their child strays out of an agreed geographical zone. This might be a good option for parents who want to keep an eye on their children’s whereabouts, without feeling like they’re invading their privacy. This can be a good tool to establish boundaries with your child and as they get older and gain more independence. It’s a good idea to schedule in checkpoints of when to review the boundaries set so they work for both of you.
Building trust Whether you decide to disable the
location settings within the phone or install apps specifically designed to help you keep track of your child’s location, you should be honest and open with your child.
It’s vital you tell them whether you’re tracking their movements or not, and the reasons behind it. You can set rules about when you will be checking their location, for example, if they are late home or not responsive.
Age and privacy Lots of parents want to see where their
younger children are when they’re out alone or with friends, using a well-known app like Boomerang (http://nationaledtech.com) or Qustodio (https://www.qustodio.com/en). However, as children get older, they will want to find their own independence. It’s important that if you have installed a tracking app on your child’s phone, you have regular
conversations with them as they get older, so they understand why you’re doing it and listen to their point of view.
Real time updates If you feel like your child is vulnerable to
sharing too much online, you can install apps to monitor what they are sharing and with whom. Encourage your children to not share their location or images in real-time so they don’t give away their location to people they don’t know. Talk about what the potential risks are if they do and what they can do to if it does happen, i.e. review privacy settings, review friends list to ensure they share with only people they know.
Apps have limitations You’ll never be able to fully monitor your
child’s whereabouts through their smart device, so it’s important to create an environment where your child is able to share what they’ve been up to and any concerns they may have. Children can get around tracking technology by simply leaving their phone at a friend’s house.
REPORTING ONLINE SAFETY CONCERNSVisit your child’s school website for advice and support including how to report online safety concerns. If you have a concern regarding your child’s use of the internet at home or in school, please feel free to contact us. Our school websites have loads of advice and support to help you to keep your children safe online and include information on how to report online safety concerns. If you would like to talk to us about a concern, please come into school and ask to speak to one of our Online Safety Leads.
Top apps for location trackingWhere to report
a problem You can talk to one of our school Online Safety Leads (see Reporting Online Safety Concerns) with any concerns you have, but you may also find the following websites and organisations useful should you or your children encounter a problem online.
CEOPwww.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre
The CEOP Command of the National Crime Agency is dedicated to tackling the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and young
people. You can report concerns about any suspicious sexual behaviour directly to CEOP.
Internet Watch Foundationwww.iwf.org.uk/report
If you see any criminal sexual content online you can report it to the Internet Watch Foundation anonymously.
True Visionwww.report-it.org.uk
If you see any content that incites hatred you can report it to True Vision by visiting their website.
ParentPortwww.parentport.org.uk
If your child has seen any type of content online or offline, that you think is unsuitable for them, you can report it using ParentPort.
CTIRUwww.gov.uk/report-terrorism
If you see any content online related to terrorism, you can report it anonymously to the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit.
Action Fraudwww.actionfraud.police.uk
If you think your child has been ‘scammed, ripped off or conned’ online you can report it to Action Fraud online or call them on 0300 123 2040.
Apple Screen Time https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT208982The new Screen Time features built into the iOS 12 for iPhone and iPad devices offer great family controls for free and at the
operating system level. Of course, this is limited to Apple mobile devices. You can find out more about setting up and using Screen Time in our previous newsletter (Issue 22).
Boomerang https://useboomerang.com Once installed, Boomerang lets you control access to the internet and apps in a detailed fashion.
As with other apps, it includes location tracking with updates on your child’s whereabouts via their mobile device. It only works on iOS and Android devices.
Qustodio https://www.qustodio.comQustodio works by installing software on each of your devices, on Windows, Mac OS X,
Android, iOS, Kindle, and Nook and includes the ability to location track your child and set geographical limits.
Family Time https://familytime.io This is an app you install on each of your devices that lets you control exactly what your child can do online. You can also track
movement and set zones that will alert you if the child leaves them. The app is limited to iOS, Android and Kindle devices.
OurPact https://ourpact.com OurPact is a user-friendly app that can track calls and texts and monitor a range of online activities. There are three subscription plans: Free, Plus, and
Premium. The Premium option allows you to access all its features.
Monqi https://www.monqi.co Monqi is an all-in-one solution. It’s a smartphone that has controls built into the handset. At £149 it’s not cheap, but that
price includes the device as well.
Christmas conversation starter tipsHelp children deal with online issues and open up about their digital lives with these simple tips.
1. Talk early and talk often •Talk with children from an early age to make it easier to maintain good communication •Have bitesize conversations that are relevant
2. Choose the right time •Choose to talk when you are due to spend some time together, like over a meal or during their bedtime routine •Bring digital experiences into normal, everyday conversations
3. Open up and share too •Model the behaviour you want them to show by sharing about your day •Be open and encouraging to make them feel supported
4. Create a safe space •Ask open-ended questions •Ensure that your child feels listened to rather than cornered •When they start talking, hold off with questions and really listen •Be prepared, calm and patient with them
Internet Matters You can download the free Internet Matters tablet app for a fun way to start a conversation about online safety with your child and help them make smart choices online - visit you device app store to download and search for ‘Internet Matters’.
