Online Child Safety and the Metaverse

What is the Metaverse?  The Metaverse seeks to link users to the internet as a Virtual Entity through the use of Virtual Reality Headsets.   With more parents likely to buy their children VR headsets, this amplifies the danger children are exposed to online. To help you understand this new, fast changing issue and to help keep children and young people safe when delving into these unregulated spaces, the NSPCC has published a guide to both the Metaverse and VR headsets. Their parents’ guide covers straightforward advice for families on how to keep children safe when using virtual reality, including to: 

• make the headset a family activity, taking turns and playing with it together
• take some time to explore the headset before allowing a child to use it
• talk to children about how they use VR. Make sure they know that personal information should not be shared with people they don’t know
• get to know the safety features the device offers. Make sure the location is set to private, use parental controls and check that privacy settings are switched on
• set healthy boundaries and manage your child’s screen time.

To find out more please follow the link: 

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/news-opinion/2022/christmas-vr-safety-advice-for-parents-metaverse/

Cyberbullying  advice for parents

Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place using technology. Whether on social media sites, through a mobile phone, or gaming sites, the effects can be devastating for the young person involved. There are ways to help prevent a child from being cyberbullied and to help them cope and stop the bullying if it does happen.

Please use the links below to access advice on what to do if you think your child is being bullied online:

DfE Advice for Parents and Carers on Cyberbullying

Kidscape - Protecting Your Child Online

UK Safer Internet Centre