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What do I need to know about my child’s health and wellbeing and their digital world?
If you’re the parent of a teenager, you’ll understand that this is a time of physical and emotional change. They don’t always want to speak to you, their teacher or even their friends about what’s on their mind, so they might look elsewhere for help.
The internet gives them a place to find information and discuss issues, such as relationships, bullying, alcohol and drug misuse, stress, bereavement, eating disorders and self-harm.
Social networking sites, chat rooms and message boards provide the opportunity to talk to other young people in the same situation or to make contact with experts and counsellors. Or they might even choose to express their own feelings about their health or emotional wellbeing on a blog or other online forum.
For some, the internet has become a lifeline and there are lots of useful websites offering advice and support to children and teenagers, some of which we’ve listed in the ‘Where can I go for more information & support?’ section below.
Did you know?
In a 2009 survey by YouthNet, 32 per cent of 16-24 year olds agreed that they can access all the information they need online and don’t need to speak to a real person about their problems. Anonymity was the single most important reason for 62 per cent of young people seeking advice online rather than from other sources
But there are also some places on the Web that promote dangerous behaviours. Your son or daughter might come across websites or social networking pages that promote eating disorders, self-harm or suicide, for example, especially if they search on an unfiltered search engine.
If a young person is already vulnerable because of a physical or emotional health problem, they might get drawn into these sites and not understand that they promote dangerous behaviours.
In the UK, the internet industry and the Government are working together to minimise the impact of these sites but they aren’t illegal, so it’s important that you help your child to go to bona fide support organisations instead.
What can I do?
- Set up Parental Controls and Safe Search on your child’s computer based on their age and maturity – but remember, they might not be 100% effective and they aren’t a substitute for parental supervision
- Talk to your son or daughter about the kinds of health and wellbeing websites that are suitable for them to visit and those that aren’t – show them what comes up if they simply type a search term into a search engine and how to determine where they can find appropriate support online
- Encourage them to come to you if they want to talk about anything they’ve come across online that’s troubling them
- Explain to your child why they should be careful when giving out personal information and sharing experiences – not everyone they meet online is who they say they are
- Talk about their “digital footprint” – anything your son or daughter posts online now could be there forever and could be seen by anyone
- Read our articles about cyberbullying, exploring sexual identity, inappropriate & harmful content, mobiles & health, managing reputation, misleading content, search
Where can I go for more information and support?
- The UK’s leading eating disorder charity Beat provides advice on its own YouTube channel
- Bebo has created the Be Well centre to offer young people information and support on issues relating to mental health, crime, social care and wellbeing
- Childline provides confidential advice and counselling to children and teenagers in the UK
- Mental health charity MIND promotes good mental health online through its website and Facebook group
- Get advice and talk to other parents on Mumsnet
- The NHS website is a useful health resource for your whole family
- Parentline’s 24/7 helpline offers guidance on a wide range of parenting issues
- SANE aims to improve the quality of life for people affected by mental illness
FAQs related to this article
Find out more about Parental Controls
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
How much do you know?
Twitter has73 million users worldwide
Take our test to give you an idea about how well you understand new technologies. It’s quick and easy and will help you decide which parts of the website to visit.
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