The Office of the eSafety Commissioner has put together valuable advice for young people to look after their online safety and wellbeing in the coming months, as they continue to spend more time online than ever before. Here's an excerpt from eSafety's new post, with links to resources.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a world we could never have imagined. From self-isolation to social distancing, some of the habits we developed during lockdown feel like the new normal.
We changed how we ‘go’ to school by studying remotely and expanding our use of digital technology to communicate with our teachers and classmates.
We also spent more time online so we could stay connected with friends and relatives. With others stuck at home with us doing the same thing, there was often the added pressure of having to help family members understand how to use new technologies. And there were some arguments about who got to use the household devices and data.
All of this happened while we were living with uncertainty about when things would get back to normal for our family, friends and the world.
Lockdown restrictions are slowly being lifted across Australia, but things have not returned to the old ‘normal’ yet and probably never will — more time online is likely to continue to be part of life.
Explore resources from the eSafety Commissioner
At the back of our minds we know there’s a chance we may have to self-isolate again — especially if there’s a case of COVID-19 at school or one of our family members picks up coronavirus.
Spending more time online has also increased the chance of being exposed to some negative behaviours and inappropriate or upsetting content, that might have made us feel uncomfortable.
eSafety has put together some advice to make sure you look after your online safety and wellbeing — to help navigate the uncharted territory we are in. Take some time to explore this advice and learn how to get support if things become difficult:
- Stay connected with friends
- Manage your mental health in and out of COVID lockdown
- Know how to deal with cyberbullying
- Don’t fall for fake news
- Balance your time online
- Be cautious about online relationships
Thanks to the Office of the eSafety Commissioner for allowing us to republish this post. Read the original.
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