Getting Started
Fake News by Joshua Miranda on pexels.
As young people become more active online at a younger age, the possibility and probability that they’ll see something inappropriate all depends on what they’re doing online.
Whether it’s an explicit pop-up ad on a free game, videos showcasing children’s cartoon characters in adult situations, or a forum promoting self-harm, an innocent search can expose children to content that can make them feel upset and confused.
What online activities can increase the possibility and probability for a child will see inappropriate content?
- Joining social networks before reaching the minimum age
- Playing games and using apps which are not age-appropriate
- Watching live streams which may show inappropriate content or taking part in them and unconsciously being exploited
Learn More
Inappropriate content includes information or images that upset a child, material that’s directed at adults, inaccurate information or information that might lead or tempt a child into unlawful or dangerous behaviour. This could be:
- Pornographic material
- Content containing swearing
- Sites that encourage vandalism, crime, terrorism, racism, eating disorders, even suicide
- Pictures, videos or games which show images of violence or cruelty to other people or animals
- Gambling sites
- Unmoderated chat rooms – where there’s no one supervising the conversation and barring unsuitable comments.
- Sexism or sites that portray females in very traditional roles that do not reflect contemporary values and expectations
- Fake news or misinformation
It can be difficult to monitor what a child is viewing as they can access this material through any internet enabled device, including mobile ones such as a phone or tablet. Sometimes a child may stumble upon unsuitable sites by accident, through apps they’ve downloaded to their mobile device or through links they’ve been sent by friends, chatting to others online, or even through inter-device communication systems such as Bluetooth or Apple’s AirDrop.
Although there are a number of tools you can use to closely monitor what they are doing on their device and block access to certain content through filters, preparing your child for what they might see is vital to make sure they know how to deal with it if they see something they shouldn’t.
Exercise
You are encouraged to discuss the meaning of fake news and what is misinformation. Below are simple explanations for both. In the learn more section and indeed in the resources sections there are specific links and videos that go into details about this, check these out.
What's real and what's false online?
Digital platforms have made it easier for anyone to share information online, and it can be difficult to determine whether something is real or false.
What a young person sees online can shape how they view the world and impact their overall wellbeing. It’s important to talk to them about how misinformation spreads and how to look out for it.
What do you mean by misinformation and disinformation?
False information that is spread online is known as misinformation or disinformation. These are most commonly referred to as ‘fake news’ or ‘hoaxes’.
Misinformation is where false information is shared by accident without the intent to cause harm. For example, sharing inaccurate photos, quotes or dates online because you believe them to be true.
Disinformation is false information shared deliberately to mislead and cause harm. For example, fabricated news stories and political propaganda.
What you learn in this course
- You'll be able to explain different problematic contents such as fake news, sexting, hate speech, conspiracy thinking or disinformation and complete definitions of terms, distinguish the terms from each other and to name identifying features.
- You'll be able to describe procedures to check the credibility of content.
- You'll be able to explain how children of this age can encounter problematic content such as suicide risk, self-harming behaviour, glorification of eating disorders, etc.
- You'll be able to pass on tips for action to parents for encounters with this content.
- You'll be able to explain that the internet is the predominant source of pornographic material. They know what influence pornography can have on young people.
- You'll be able to identify and report critical content (such as extremism, pornography).
Get ready: Tips for MediaParent consultants
It is important to stress the internet offers young people amazing opportunities to connect and learn, but it can also expose them to content that is both age and developmentally unsuitable.
Content on the internet is not sorted into age or appropriate areas and without supervision and guidance, a child can either unintentionally or purposely find content that is sexually explicit, extremely violent or inappropriate. We know that exposure to this type of content can also be psychologically damaging.
Most internet users will at some stage come across confronting content online and in the majority of cases this will not cause long-term harm. Problems can arise when this exposure is constant and is not discussed with a parent who can provide a balanced view.