As technology continues to innovate and become more prevalent in society, the access that children have to it increases. This, on the whole, is a good thing; they can discover new countries, travel through history, explore far off planets and more, all from the comfort of a chair.

However, with this technological freedom comes a variety of issues. Should children be restricted for what they can find on the internet? Are they on computers too much, when they should be exploring the world around them? Who else are they connecting and interacting with when they are online?  How are they behaving when they are online? It is important for children and us to know how to stay safe online and how to use this great tool responsibly.

It’s all too easy  to set up filters and restrictions, in the belief that children will be safe in their ‘walled gardens’. However, there will always be someone who knows how to beat these defences and will happily spread the word to anyone who will listen, allowing everyone to jump the wall into the internets wilderness.

Instead, it is important to instill the beliefs that we expect children to use in everyday life; respect, responsibility, awareness, common sense, so that they will continue to behave in this same way online. The anonymity of the internet can encourage people, adults included, to behave in a way they would never dream off doing when interacting face to face. However, with the previously discussed qualities, children are more likely to behave in a respectful and responsible manner on the internet.

Furthermore, it is important that children are aware of the dangers they could face online and how to react to them. Much like with the hedgehog and the highway code, children need to know how to stay safe online. They need to know to never share any private information, to never talk to someone they don’t know and to talk to a parent, teacher or even childline if they do face an issue.

The internet is a complicated place, but its benefits hugely outweigh the negatives it may present, it is just important that we all know how to use it responsibly and how to stay safe online.