Our children are growing up in a different environment to that which we experienced. Screens are unavoidable and we don’t always have time to check what they are watching – particularly when we are not there. How can we empower them to make the right decisions online? And get the parental guidance we need? Social kids is a company that has produced a series of five video steps for kids to watch to help them be safe online: to think before they click.
We know that there are a lot of risks about going online for kids – cyberbullies, inappropriate content and predators. How do we guide them and equip them without becoming paranoid?
We’ve written about helping kids when they are gaming – putting down the right limits and getting involved. What I like about Social Kids is they have a similar goal: let’s work together with our kids in a world full of screens.
The course is aimed at kids 7-11 to help them to know their rights and know what is appropriate and inappropriate to share online. I think my son is particularly picking up on this as he wants me to ask his permission before I post his picture online. He is ten years old now. This is the time we have as parents to still influence them before they hit the teen years.
The course features Codey Crawler, a brave internet exploring Chameleon, and Miss Nadie to help you along the journey. Nicky liked Miss Nadie but thought the disembodied chameleon head was a bit weird. I think this is something they might be able to alter still.
(Edited to add: after my feedback they put a body on Codey! Yay! I think he looks much better!)
The content of the video itself is excellent and we watched the first one together, which is “Being Smart Online.” Children are taught to trust their family and friends but not a follower or someone they met online. They weight up the good and bad things about the internet and are taught the rules of being safe and smart with easy to remember ideas. They are also encouraged to watch their own behaviour online and not be a bully themselves.
After we completed the video there was a quiz. This quiz then entitles Nicky to get a badge, the first in a series of five before he is, at the end, awarded a global surfer certificate!
This product is still in the developmental stages and they have only completed the first video so far, but I think it’s a great idea to empower our kids to know how to handle the dangers of the internet as well as monitor their own behaviour as well.
For more information, visit: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and the website below.
Register on their site to be the first to take the online adventure in the third term and receive a 15% discount!
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Social Kids.
[…] the course was still in the developmental stages a few months ago and I wrote about it at that time here. It’s now all completed and ready for you to get your kid internet […]