Vodaphone e-Safety Site for Parents
Vodafone
have launched the first comprehensive website to support parents understand
their children's online activities and support them in their digital world. The
Vodafone Parents' Guide , has
been developed with leading parenting website
Mumsnet and tested extensively to ensure it builds parents'
confidence. The aim of the website is to help parents play an active and
essential role in their children's digital world and to get to grips with their
use of mobiles and other online social media.
Vodafone.com/parents
bringings together a wide range of topics in one place. Divided into two
sections, 'Get to grips with technology' and 'Get involved and stay in control',
it offers up-to-date guidance on issues such as children's excessive use of
technology, managing their presence in social media, access to location
technology, cyber-bullying and the risks of meeting strangers online.
Carrie Longton, co-founder of
Mumsnet, said: "With technology developing at such an incredible pace,
it's great that Vodafone has produced an online resource to help us understand
it. The feedback from the parents on Mumsnet was very positive and many
felt they learned a huge amount while they were testing the site."
Professor Tanya Byron
highlighted the generational divide between parents and their children in her
2008 Review "Safer Internet in a Digital Age" and noted that parents
do not feel equipped to help their children in the digital world. She commented
that they "...either under estimate or do not realise how often
children come across potentially harmful and inappropriate material on the
internet and are often unsure what they would do about it" and said
that this generational divide can lead to fear and a sense of helplessness.
Annie Mullins OBE, Global
Head of Content Standards at Vodafone, who led the development of the website,
comments: "Many parents tell us that they are baffled by what their
children are doing be it on their on their mobile, on Facebook or via their
iphones. They say it's hard to keep up with the pace of change. Their
desire is to get simple, clear information on everyday matters, such as knowing
what age a child should be given a mobile or setting the rules for using
Facebook, and very practical advice about what to do. Our new Parents' Guide
empowers parents as they face the challenges of the 'Twitter generation'"