Twitch is a livestreaming service which tends to focus on gaming. Users can publicly broadcast their gameplay and commentary online for other users to watch. It’s a community-driven platform where viewers can support their favourite streamers’ channels through PayPal donations, “Bits” and more. Each streamer or group creates their own community for fans to interact with each other. Twitch has more than 15 million daily active users and includes non-gaming topics such as music, cooking and art. Anyone can create a channel to livestream or watch videos.

In the guide, you’ll find tips on a number of potential risks such as inappropriate content, private chat rooms and strangers.

If you need more support or guidance with online safety please contact a staff member or send us an email newdale.primary@taw.org.uk

During Healthy Lifestyles Week all year groups learnt about how to keep their bodies and minds healthy. It is important that they take care of their minds when online too! Lots of things can damage the way they feel and think, and it’s more common than people realise – one in every five children, for example, struggles with their mental health. Sending memes, jokes and messages online is easy – but finding the right words to talk to a friend who’s having a hard time can be tricky.

If you need more support or guidance with online safety please contact a staff member or send us an email newdale.primary@taw.org.uk

TikTok is a social networking app that replaced the popular Musical.ly app when it went offline in 2017. Know as Douyin in China, it gives users the ability to watch and create short clips of up to 60 seconds.

Common Sense recommends the app for age 15+ mainly due to the privacy issues and mature content. TikTok requires that users be at least 13 years old to use the full TikTok experience.

We are aware that children in our school are using TikTok and have their own accounts. It is our responsibility to ensure that children using this app are aware of how to remain safe. We would recommend sharing this video with your children, if they are thinking of using TikTok.

https://youtu.be/AR8X7GpsZ90

For more safety tips and parent guides, please see the Internet Matters website:

https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/esafety-news/tik-tok-app-safety-what-parents-need-to-know/

If you need more support or guidance with online safety please contact a staff member or send us an email newdale.primary@taw.org.uk

Raising children in the digital age seems to be getting tougher, with the world currently experiencing so many uncertainties. From the continuing impact of COVID-19 to the war in Ukraine, right now children across the globe can scarcely go online without being exposed to unsettling stories, images and ideas. Reassuring a concerned child can be difficult, especially when bad news feels omnipresent. We’ve put together some advice to help you in discussing upsetting events with young ones.

In the guide, you’ll find tips on a number of tips such as encouraging your child to ask questions, setting limits and to emphasis hope.