Safer Internet Day, Myall Coast teens stay safe online MidCoast LGA (overall news) by News Of The Area - Modern Media - February 16, 2017February 16, 2017 Abby Fenner, Indianna McDonald and Khloe Middleton use their mobile phones to access social media sites. SAFER Internet Day was celebrated in more than 90 countries last week aimed at raising an awareness of the risks involved with revealing too much personal information online. New figure released by the Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner, reveal children as young as eight are sharing their surnames, school details, phone numbers and addresses on their social media accounts. Modern Media: Advertise with News Of The Area and you get your ad in 1) in Print, 2) on the News Website (like this ad), and 3) on our Social Media news site. A much more efficient way to advertise. Reach a HUGE audience for a LOW price TODAY! Call us on 02 4983 2134. Or media@newsofthearea.com.au Or CLICK FOR ADVERT QUOTE With online sites such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Messenger easily accessed via mobile phones, knowing how to keep personal information private is an important part of responsible online behavior. Twelve-year old Indianna McDonald from Tea Gardens said she uses many strategies to protect her personal details on social media accounts. “All my accounts are set to private so I can pick who can see my posts,” she said. “I also turn the location services off so no one can track where I am posting from.” Indianna told News Of The Area as an added privacy measure, she uses a nickname created for her accounts instead of revealing her full name online. Nerong teen Khloe Middleton said she is aware of the importance of online safety. “I frequently get friend requests from people I don’t know and when this happens I just block them so they can’t see anything on my profile,” she said. “I never accept a request or chat online with anyone I don’t know personally.” Children’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said we need to be having regular conversations with young people about what is, and is not okay to share online. “We also need to make sure we are modelling the same behaviours in our own social media use,” she said. “The good news is that most young people are using privacy settings, however, education is essential for reinforcing the importance of keeping sensitive information private.” Commissioner Inman Grant said the Office has developed a range of resources to help young people, parents, and the wider community develop skills in using online sites safely and respectfully. The resources can be viewed at: www.esafety.gov.au. By Daniel SAHYOUN Indianna McDonald, Abby Fenner and Khloe Middleton use online privacy settings when posting selfies. Tommy Keen from Bulahdelah, Dane Pope from Hawks Nest and Jonathan Hawes from Tea Gardens use social media privacy setting to protect their personal details. Tommy Keen from Bulahdelah, Dane Pope from Hawks Nest and Jonathan Hawes from Tea Gardens use social media safely to connect with friends.
