Tag: negative digital footprint
Children sharing inappropriate images can have harmful consequences !!
Today we would like to discuss, how harmful it can be for children to share inappropriate images of themselves, with others when using their devices. Incredibly we have found that children in Irish Primary Schools in 5th and 6th class, are very aware of this behaviour. What some children can believe is a just a funny image or photo of themselves, can have really serious long negative effects if shared with others.
Continue reading “Children sharing inappropriate images can have harmful consequences !!”
Sexting Information Videos
What is Sexting ?
This video is aimed at young children to teach them what can happen if they were to take or share an inappropriate image and how quick it can spread
This is a series of videos aimed at teens
This series of videos are aimed at parents who discover an image of their child has been shared
A Kerry National School has banned 6th class students access to digital devices. All parents should now follow their lead.
This week, it was revealed that Blennerville National School, near Tralee in Co Kerry, agreed with parents in the school, that it was time to put a ban on digital device access for students. There had been a number of incidents revolving around the access and sharing of inappropriate content and Cyberbullying. The ban on devices at home, is an 11-week pilot programme. What we would describe as a Digital Detox, only for the children in sixth class. This decision is similar to one we have been promoting in National Schools for some time now that children should never be given a ‘Smartphone’. We had been anxiously waiting to see a community who would come together and formulate a plan such as this in Ireland. A first step on this path has been publicly taken by a school and parents. We would hope that all parents would look with great interest upon it, and follow-up and try this themselves.
Sexting
‘Sexting’, described as the sending of sexually explicit messages, through digital devices, primarily the mobile phone. A relatively new phenomenon, with the saturation of digital devices over the last few years there has been a marked increase in those who will openly admit sending in explicit or inappropriate image to another’s digital device of themselves. The concept can sometimes be difficult for adults to grasp that children might engage in this type of behaviour. However, a study released in 2016 showed that Irish teens were the fourth most prolific senders and receivers of ‘Sexts’ in Europe. Many young people see it as a normal behaviour as everyone is doing it.
By their very nature children will experiment, show me yours and I’ll show you mine, combine this with a latest trend of selfies, on top of the current negative celebrity role models who frequently post near and sometimes completely naked images of themselves, then you’re bound to have children who will not see the harm in Sexting. Children have been found to have sent ‘Sexts’ to people they only met online, they are Sexting boyfriends or girlfriends or potential companions. Some of the teenagers are sexting out of peer pressure. Many just do it for fun.
A number of Apps have also really contributed to the escalation in this type of behaviour among children and teens. Snapchat, which was openly referred to as a Sexting App has become incredibly popular with young users, despite the 13-year-old restriction. This App encourages the taking of Selfies and sharing of the images. What the App also leads the users to believe is that the image is deleted after a set time period. With this knowledge in mind children who are natural risk takers will undoubtedly engage in a behaviour if there is little or no chance that they will get caught.
What may seem as a bit of fun, taking a picture of their bum can quickly escalate and get out of hand. As there are Free Apps that can save an image to a device without the sender’s knowledge the receive may retain or worst case scenario forward the image to others. This can have a disastrous impact on the sender. Users fail to realise the gamble they take once they send an explicit, or inappropriate image.
There have also been instances where young children getting changed after a match taken and the image forwarded, can you imagine the impact that would have. Any image forwarded by can have a terribly negative effect on a person’s self-esteem, their reputation and may have deep psychological consequences for the victim.
Sexting has also given rise to Revenge Porn, this occurs when a consenting couple who have exchanged images while involved in a relationship break up and one of them decided to release the images to get back at the other. Again this can have an incredible negative impact on the victim.
Teens and young children who take, share or even have these types of images get a serious shock when they discover that the images are in fact illegal. The production, possession or distribution of images of a sexual nature of a child are considered Child Pornography in Ireland.
Some Advice for Parents
- The number one priority here is communication with your child. They have to feel confident enough to be able to have an open conversation with you without a fear of reprisal
- As a parent when you decide to provide a device to a child you need to set down ground rules and understand what type of behaviours are acceptable and what is not acceptable when using the device
- Discover does your child understand what Sexting is, have they heard of it happening in their school. Even at Primary level we are seeing children telling us they are aware of this happening
- Remind them that once an image is send it is there FOREVER
- Help them understand that they should never send an image that they might not want their Grand Parents to see
- If they ever receive an unsolicited image make sure they understand that it is ok to tell a trusted adult
- Have they ever received a Sext, for younger children an inappropriate image
- Have they ever sent a Sext, for younger children an inappropriate image
- Do they understand the permanence of an image and that there is NO CONTROL over where the image may end up
- Using real life examples of the consequences of Sexting may help, we have a number of videos on this topic available on our You Tube Page https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8eU6qs3Yu9ODW9nXYWRCyIexhcniw6gx
- Help them understand that they may end up bullied and cyberbullied
- Help them understand that may leave themselves open to be blackmailed or Sextorted as a result of sharing one image
- They may be prosecuted for the production possession or distribution of the image, and always remember that a deleted image on a device can always be forensically recovered in the case of an investigation
Digital Footprint
Also referred to as your online reputation, your Digital Footprint represents your interaction with technology. Every time an image, video or comments are posted, it impacts your digital footprint. People are perceived, the lives that they are living online. Presently children are posting images and information about themselves, at a younger and younger age. By the time a child is a teenager, much of the content they have created, will have well forgotten about. Think about your own activity online. Did you have a Social Media Account like MySpace or Bebo account? Can you remember every post that you created? What if someone was to judge you on content from 15 years ago?
Posting Harmful Content
The problem today is, a negative digital footprint can have disastrous implications for a any person. While children and teens do spend considerable time online, they can act and behave in ways that they never would in the real world. There is a complete disconnect between the real and online world. We see teens post inappropriate images of themselves and others. Children, teens and adults Cyberbully others online. We see some declare an open interest in crime or drugs, often without realising the real world implications for posting this content. Both adults and children have fallen victim to being reckless online. Adults are lose jobs. Children and teens are suspended and expelled almost daily, from schools and colleges due to content being put online.
The problem with having a Negative Digital Footprint
Many third level institutions and employers have their own Social Media and Online Acceptable Use Policy. When students apply for colleges or employment, people look in to the online lives of applicants. This obviously will give a far better indication of the character of an individual, than a traditional C.V. However, the real world individual and the online persona with a negative digital footprint can be completely different. The unfortunate truth is the online persona can really negatively impact the real world persons prospective chances for college and employment.
Both parents and children need to understand the importance of their own Digital Footprint. It can be forever. The permanence of the Digital World may result in information generated, can be extremely difficult to remove. This may have seriously long-lasting ramifications.
Advice for Parents
- Parents need to be good role models for their children. They should not see parents posting their own every move online.
- Parents need to teach the importance of Personal Information and Privacy to their children
- Parents need to monitor their children’s Digital Footprint regularly
- Patents need to have a conversation about what is online. Sit down and search for your child online. Check the results. If negative content is appearing, where possible take it down or delete it
- Parents and Children need to understand the concept of Think before you Share. It helps to have a better concept of the implications and far-reaching effects of posting harmful or negative content
- Even with the most secure of privacy settings, nothing can be considered truly private if you put it online. The terms and conditions everyone generally just click “ACCEPT” on, can result in content accessed by Third Parties without the account holders realising. If you post it, you give away all control of it.
- Parents should teach children, the comments and posts of others can also negatively impact on them. Ensure permission needs to be given, before you or your child can be tagged in a post. Online reputation is important, care should be taken about what is posted about others you or your child online also.