Safe on Social Media | Education website
Safe on Social Media
Phone: +61 2 6687 5390
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25.01.2022 Please take the time to read this extremely important and informative post by my colleague and friend Dannielle Miller. Trigger warning - Suicide
21.01.2022 Ta da! I am beyond excited to share with you a sneak peek of my new book, FROM BOYS TO MEN, in stores 25th August and available to preorder now at https://www.p...anmacmillan.com.au/978176078/from-boys-to-men/ The world has changed so much since most parents themselves were adolescents. Those of you raising your boys today didnt have the digital world to help raise you and give you a sense of how everything works. You probably werent into gaming as much as your sons might be and you certainly didnt have such easy access to huge amounts of pornography and the distraction of technology in general. In this book for parents of tween and teen boys, I cover all the biggies including the things mentioned above and ongoing challenges such as communication, motivation (or lack thereof!) and much, much more. I offer this book up as a compassionate guide for anyone who wants to raise todays tween and teen boys to be men who are happy, healthy and kind. Thank you to my publisher Pan Macmillan Australia and my team for helping me birth this baby into the world. I cant wait to share it with you all!
20.01.2022 https://www.safeonsocial.com//cyber-racism-and-how-austral
20.01.2022 Parents, please dont be complacent. And if you dont know, or are not sure what to do please take a look at www.safeonsocialtoolkit.com
20.01.2022 We have received more than 800 emails in the last two days in the wake of news articles shared around the world. Most questioning why this content has not been removed faster. This article explains it very well.
20.01.2022 A message from Kirra and The Safe on Social Toolkit Team for parents needing support on how to navigate distressing news on social. For additional support please dont hesitate to contact the following services: Kids Helpline. 1800 55 1800. Phone support is there all day, every day. Online support is open from 8am-midnight every day (AEST). Suicide Callback Service. 1300 659 467. Phone support all day, every day, and follow-up calls.... eHeadspace. 1800 650 890. Open 9am-1am daily (AEST). Lifeline. 13 11 14. Phone support all day, every day. Online support 7pm-4am daily (AEST). Beyondblue. 1300 22 4636. Phone support all day, every day. Online support 3pm-midnight every day.
18.01.2022 This week a child said to me "My Dad told me not to trust Chinese people because of TikTok, but I really like Chinese Food". They were in Grade 3. We ended up having a discussion about racism at the end of my Cyber Safety talk...because racism does not happen on my watch. I am VERY concerned by the level of racism being generated with regards to TikTok being in the news when many people dont understand why. Please be careful about how you frame this conversation with your kids as it may cause bullying at school and racism needs to be stamped out, not amplified. https://www.safeonsocial.com//There-are-calls-to-ban-TikTo
18.01.2022 Well worth the watch.
18.01.2022 Not surprising that Trump just signed an executive order banning TikTok in 45 days unless it is bought by an American Company. Just a reminder that TikTok gathers as much information as all of the other apps. Our personal information is worth more than oil. We just seem to trust the US Government more. See our blog post about Cyber Racism over at www.safeonsocial.com Always read the terms and conditions. We have been saying for a while now that we believe Trump wanted it bann...ed because the US wasnt making money from it. Dollars into the US economy is what he has cited in his refusal to lay down the law with other apps. Watch this space. Rumours are circling that TikTok is in talks with Microsoft to purchase their Australian, New Zealand, US and Canadian operations. The politicking behind social media is very interesting indeed and shows the important link between cyber safety and cyber security. Our specialty. See more
16.01.2022 Gen Alpha is still very young, but is on track to be the most transformative age group ever.
14.01.2022 I see too much through my work, I hear more and I read anything and everything about the dark side of social media. I am mentally strong and have plenty of coping strategies that go along with a role like mine that I have developed over more than two decades. Sometimes I break, but it is rare. I am unshockable....as I have seen more than I ever want any of you to see and think about some of those things still years down the track. I have serious concerns about the security ...risks wrapped around this app. I have written a paper for the www.safeonsocialtoolkit.com that explain the risks and why it should be avoided, as well as a paper on how to use it better if your kids have convinced you that it is ok. This app does actually scare the s*&t out of me. Post 9/11 I studied Security, Terrorism, and Counter-Terrorism online as I have a huge interest in the area from a cybersecurity perspective. There is too much information out there now and letting kids use this app and others too young....even having their faces on them is a risk that is still not fully understood. "All iPhone users should update to the latest version of TikTok as soon as its releasedand given it is actively reading your clipboard, you might want to bear that in mind while using the app ahead of that update." https://www.forbes.com//warning-apple-suddenly-catches-t/
13.01.2022 **** TRIGGER WARNING SCAM DISGUISED AS SUICIDE THREAT**** Late Sunday afternoon, I received a message from a distressed friend who is an incredible artist that I work with from time to time. She paints murals in schools to remind the students of critical messages in my Safe on Social talks. She had received an email that seemed to be a suicide note from a Principal of a school that we have both worked with in the past. This is what the message read: ...Continue reading
13.01.2022 **********WARNING********** There is a video of a man live streaming his suicide on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok. The clip is extremely graphic and has yet to be moderated. Should this image appear in any of your feeds SCROLL past. Please advise all older students to do the same. We strongly recommend keeping your children offline today if possible, and heavily supervise all social media interactions until this content is removed. Check with your children to dete...rmine if they have viewed this clip. They are likely to be extremely distressed. Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
11.01.2022 We can all relate! Thanks to my friend Viv Fantin - Next Act Coaching for this. Drawing by Nina Cosford Illustration
10.01.2022 TikTok is the first app that we have ever recommended parents to NOT let their kids use. However, many kids and adults have downloaded and are using TikTok and its not going away any time soon. Thats why weve put together a free cheatsheet to help you make sure your kids are using TikTok safely. To download your free cheatsheet, click here: https://bit.ly/37mvs3C
10.01.2022 Emergency: 000 Lifeline: 131114 Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 Older Australians COVID-19 Support Line: 1800 171 866... Mensline: 1300 78 9978 Open Arms (Veterans): 1800 011 046 Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 Australian Centre for Grief 1800 642 066 National Association for Grief and Loss: 02 6882 9222 Grief helpline: (03) 9935 7400 Bereavement Care Centre: 1300 654 556 Elder Abuse Hotline: 1800 353 374 Palliative Care Helpline: 1800 870 155 Standby Suicide Bereavement Response: 0417 119 298 See more
10.01.2022 We have been asked by many parents to let them know when the video with distressing content is removed. Fact is it probably will never fully disappear, and there is always something else. So here are some tips for Parents: 1. Be as involved in your childs online life as you are their offline life. To them, it is just "life" it is so blurred now there is no definition in the eyes of a young person....Continue reading
10.01.2022 I have had numerous emails over the last few days asking for advice on safety and the app Youtube for Kids. I made a little video with a couple of tips for you all. More information can be found at www.safeonsocialtoolkit.com
09.01.2022 Kristi presented to Year 7, Year 8 & Year 10 kids today in Bunbury! Being an ex WA Police Officer Kristi said it felt really awesome to be on the other side of the fence hopefully preventing kids from getting themselves into trouble on social media vs on the other side after its done Im so grateful to have this opportunity to hopefully make a difference in a different way ... We are excited to have Kristi at the helm of our WA office.
08.01.2022 How many Facebook group members does it take to change a light bulb? 1 to change the light bulb and to post that the light bulb has been changed. 14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light bulb could have been changed differently.... 7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs. 17 purists who use candles and are offended by light bulb discussions. 6 to argue over whether its lightbulb or light bulb. Another 6 to condemn those 6 as stupid. 22 to tell THOSE 6 to stop being a***holes. 2 industry professionals to inform the group that the proper term is lamp. 15 know-it-alls who claim that they were in the industry and that light bulb is perfectly correct. 49 to post memes and GIFs (several are of Michael Jackson eating popcorn with the words added: Im just here for the comments.) 19 to post that this page is not about light bulbs and to please take this discussion to a light bulb page. 11 to defend the posting to this page saying that we all use light bulbs and therefore the posts are relevant here. 24 to discuss the merits of LED/swirly fluorescent light bulbs 44 to claim LED and fluorescent bulbs will kill you. 12 to post the letter F. 8 to ask what F means. 7 to post Following despite the 3 dots at the top right that mean you dont have to. 3 to say "cant share". 2 to reply "cant share from a closed group". 36 people to post photos of their own light bulbs. 15 people to post "I cant see S$%^!" and use their own light bulbs. 6 to report the post or privately message an admin/moderator because someone said "f$" 4 to say "Didnt we go through this already a short time ago?". 13 to say "Do a Google search on light bulbs before posting questions about light bulbs". 1 to bring politics into the discussion by adding that (insert politician of choice) isnt the brightest bulb. This usually takes place within the first three comments. 50 more to get into personal attacks over their political views. 3 to state sanctimoniously that this is supposed to be a friendly Facebook group and that all of this petty nonsense is a result of people abandoning courtesy. 5 admins to ban the posters who were insulting. 3 who come up with a conspiracy theory about light bulbs which either involves them catching Coronavirus or that they will fry their brains. 1 late arrival to comment on the original post 6 months later and start it all over again.
07.01.2022 Introducing our Western Australian State Manager and Educator - Kristi McVee Based in Bunbury, Kristi joins Safe on Social with a wealth of experience. Kristi recently retired from the WA Police as a Detective Senior Constable after 10 years in the job. Kristi was a trained Specialist Child Interviewer for most of her career and in her role as a Detective investigated serious crime and child abuse cases with extensive experience in the child safety sector. ... Kristi has a passion for educating children and parents in the risks relating to potential online abuse. She is also passionate about using her skills from a proactive rather than a reactive perspective, to help guide children and their parents on the safe use of social media. Kristi is available now for school student both Primary and High School and parent talks all over Western Australia. Please email [email protected] for bookings. Safe on Social Media offers a unique solution that combines cyber safety with information security and risk management skills so that audiences at our presentations learn practical things that they can use in everyday life. Our face to face talks and professional development training is engaging, entertaining and practical. We offer the most comprehensive suite of consulting services available in the cyber safety sector to organisations across Australia and New Zealand. We proudly deliver a non-biased, fact-based solution without the hysteria that often accompanies cyber safety talks.
07.01.2022 TikToks global transparency report (link below) was published last Thursday without addressing concerns about censorship and misinformation. In the report, there are details that TikTok removed close to 50 million videos globally in the second half of last year, mainly for depicting adult nudity and sexual activities. TikTok has been installed on devices over 1.9 billion times worldwide. Throughout the report, privacy is only mentioned once and security is not mentioned at ...all! "TikTok offers a wide range of privacy settings that users can activate during account setup, or at any time" The report also documents the legal requests for information from governments in 26 countries including two requests from Australia. There were 500 legal requests globally and there were six requests from Australian government agencies to remove content. https://www.tiktok.com/safety/resources/transparency-report
06.01.2022 Cases like this one in NSW are are on the increase. https://www.miragenews.com/police-charge-man-over-sexual-a/
05.01.2022 I can highly recommend these courses. They start with 90min courses online. Well worth it. https://www.livingworks.com.au/programs/livingworks-start/
03.01.2022 Couple takes a selfie in the mirror (Circa 1940)
02.01.2022 https://www.safeonsocial.com//Snapchat-Tests-TikTok-Like-U
02.01.2022 Repost Maggie Dent
02.01.2022 At the moment we are receiving an overwhelming amount of queries about private sessions for families via webinar. This is one of the reasons we created The Safe on Social Toolkit in partnership with Mamamia. If you sign up you can have all the questions you need to be answered at your fingertips and it is very affordable. Check it out here.
01.01.2022 An amazing online course by my friend Dannielle. Click on the link for details.
