- Keep Your Family Safe Online is a new workshop developed for primary school parents with not-for-profit organisation, Internet Matters and Google Digital Garage.
- Available at the Google Digital Garage in Manchester, trainers will give advice on key issues facing primary children online – from managing screen time through to cyberbullying
- It comes as new research from Internet Matters reveals over half of children own their own smartphone by the time they leave primary school
September 20, 2018. UK. From this week parents in Manchester will now be able to drop into Google Digital Garage to learn new skills to help them better understand their children’s digital lives and take away practical tips on how to keep them safe online.
The programme is part of a partnership between Google and the not-for-profit organisation Internet Matters to encourage parents to play an active part in their children’s online world at the earliest possible opportunity.
New research from Internet Matters shows how 55% of Year 6 children in their last year of primary school own their own smartphone – yet less than half (46%) of parents of children aged 6 to 10 have spoken to their child about online safety in the last month.*
More than eight out of 10 parents of Year 6 pupils (81%) said they were concerned about their children seeing inappropriate content online, 78% were worried about their kids being cyberbullied.
Three quarters of Year 6 parents (75%) said they were concerned about their kids talking to strangers online and the same amount were anxious they were spending too much time on the internet.
Carolyn Bunting, CEO of Internet Matters, said the Google Digital Garage workshops would encourage those parents to get a deeper understanding of what action they should be taking to help safeguard their kids.
She said: “The age in which children have access to the internet and begin to find their digital independence is becoming younger every year – with the majority of kids having a smartphone in the last year of primary school.
“So it is vital that parents understand the potential risks and get to grips with how to speak to their child about those dangers, have regular conversations about them and stay involved in their online world.
“We are delighted to be able to team up with Google to be able to offer free advice to parents at a time they need it the most.”
Katie O’Donovan, online safety public policy manager, Google UK, said: “Ensuring that children are taught to make the right decisions online is an important responsibility, so we are helping to educate parents with practical advice so they can set boundaries for their children online and encourage them to use technology in a way that’s right for their family.”
The one-hour training workshops, starting from (October 4th, 2018) will be available at the Google Digital Garage in Manchester.
To find out where your nearest Google Digital Garage event is, or to request a trainer for your school or community, click here.
