Aged 15+

Once your children are teenagers, it might be tempting to think that they’re tech-savvy and dealing with everything the virtual world can throw at them. You probably watch in awe as they switch from chatting with friends on Facebook to updating their Twitter page; playing against someone on the other side of the world on their games console to downloading music on their mobile.

It’s all great fun but, as they get older, the things you need to help them to cope with in their digital world are ever more challenging. Far from leaving them to it, you really need to keep communicating with them.

As a 2009 study by YouthNet notes, there is a need for more guidance and support for “the vulnerable ‘in-between group’ of 16 and 17 year olds who may be particularly at risk of over confidence as they feel under pressure to take on the responsibilities of adulthood”.

Teenagers are often the driving force behind technology take-up and innovation – just look at how they have taken things like the iPod and PlayStation to heart – and it’s likely that they know more about it than you do.

“This period [15-18 years old] is the last stage of what we call ‘childhood’, when young people may still be the responsibility of their parents, but are also viewed as young adults…Effective online management at this stage will involve providing opportunities for them to explore and try different roles and identities while offering non-judgmental support in the form of talking, discussing and supporting” - (Source: The Byron Review, March 2008)

They might be interested in building relationships online and finding other ways to explore their sexual identity and they might start buying things on the internet if they have access to a credit card, according to Web Aware.

Take a good look around this website so that you can talk confidently to your teenagers about their digital world. They might want to keep some things to themselves, so respect their privacy; they might want to take sole control of it, so respect their independence; and they’re no doubt becoming resilient enough to deal with some online risks themselves.

But remind them that you’re there for them and use the checklist below as a starting point for your discussion.

Checklist

  • Teach them how to behave responsibly online and respect others in the online community – eg how to download music legally and not to spread rumours about or harass other people – as something that starts as fun can easily spiral out of control
  • Explain why it’s still important that they don’t give out their personal information online, even if they are young adults and think they know what they’re doing
  • Talk to them about the benefits and potential risks of location services – whilst they’re useful for finding the nearest takeaway or cash machine, friends and strangers can also use them to track their whereabouts
  • Discuss how they explore their sexual identity online, such as the risks of posting or sharing intimate or naked photos or videos online, looking at pornography and taking part in flirting or dating websites
  • Talk to them about their digital footprint – explain that any comments or images they post on the internet now could be there forever and could be accessed by anyone, including university admissions tutors and future employers
  • Direct your son or daughter to bona fide websites for support on health and wellbeing issues, such as body image, and warn them that other websites might contain harmful content promoting eating disorders or suicide, for example
  • Make sure they check with you before buying anything online with your credit card
  • Regularly encourage them to come to you if anything makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened online, on their mobile or on other devices

How old are your kids?

What you need to know to get started

  • 5-7 years old

    Technology is part of your child's life before they start primary school. They're probably using the computer, the internet and interactive TV for fun - watching programmes on the CBeebies channel and website or taking part in the Club Penguin chat rooms...but they still need adult guidance and supervision.

    Read more

  • 8-11 years old

    If you have 8-11 year old children, your house is probably full of technology - PlayStation, Nintendo, iPod...the list goes on. In fact, research shows that 8-11 year olds in the UK have an average of four media devices in their bedroom.

    This is a crucial age for young people to embrace new technologies and develop their ICT skills both at home and at school...and it's a crucial time for you to take control when they start exploring the digital world as well as the real world.

    Read more

  • 12-14 years old

    They're at secondary school and growing up fast. It's a time of change and their digital world might seem as important as the real world to them. They might spend their evenings on Bebo, Facebook or MySpace ; watching videos on YouTube and uploading their own for others to watch; or doing research for their homework.

    You want to encourage their technology and social skills, of course, so it's useful to understand what they're doing with technology and to get involved with it.

    Read more

  • 15+ years old

    Once your children are teenagers, it might be tempting to think that they're tech-savvy and dealing with everything the virtual world can throw at them. You probably watch in awe as they switch from chatting with friends on Facebook to updating their Twitter profile; playing against someone on the other side of the world on their games console to downloading music on their mobile.

    It's all great fun but, as they get older, the things you need to help them to cope with in their digital world are ever more challenging. Far from leaving them to it, you really need to keep communicating with them.

    Read more

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