The eSafety Commissioner’s warning: ‘We’re 10 years behind our kids’

An example of that gulf in understanding emerged in a recent study released by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner. Children as young as eight have been on social media sites sharing personal information, such as their full names, addresses and phone numbers.

That begs the question, Ms Inman Grant says, why are children as young as eight on social media, when the guidance says the minimum age should be 13?

Cyberbullying, online predators, ‘sexting’, and image-based abuse (such as so-called ‘revenge porn’) are among the concerning issues that young people confront.

Ms Inman Grant notes the good news from the survey was that 61 per cent of teenagers said they were using privacy settings.

‘It’s not all bleak,’ says Ms Inman Grant, ‘but I don’t think we’ve got a consistent understanding that every parent and every school has a role to play. However, the best initial intervention point is absolutely with parents at home.’

A mother of three, Ms Inman Grant knows parents lead busy lives. ‘I think we’re all somewhat guilty of using devices as the digital babysitter, say, “Here, take my phone, or take my iPad”. And, this technology usage is often unaccompanied without the parents engaging with their kids,’ she says.

‘But we have to continue to be vigilant about what our kids are doing online and have those conversations early and often.’

If parents aren’t having those conversations, the next catchment area is schools. This is because online safety messages need to be continually reinforced—as new services and technology surface, so do the ways these services can be misused.

She is encouraged by schools teaching digital literacy and ethics, but she knows the challenges educators face.

‘Teachers are having to confiscate phones where kids are actually surfing for porn in the classroom,’ she says. ‘These are things that teachers probably aren’t prepared for, that they didn’t sign up for.’

School counsellors are also having to deal with some of the terrible mental and psychological impacts that emerge from cyberbullying or sharing of intimate images.

The eSafety Office has a range of resources available to support schools and teachers. For schools that don’t have programs in place, there is a certification program for trainers to go into schools.

‘Where are the school authorities? Who are teaching these young boys respect? Who is talking to them about the devastating impact this has on young girls’ lives? We hear a lot about ‘boys will be boys’ as a way of explaining away bad behaviour. But, in this day and age, I don’t think that answer is going to fly anymore.’

Ms Inman Grant brings more than 25 years’ experience to her role as Commissioner, which she commenced in January.

In the early 90s, her first job out of university was working in Washington, DC for a US Congressman from her hometown of Seattle, who had Microsoft in his district. She was given a combination of social issues and technology as part of her brief.

She went on to work for Microsoft in government relations, just as the internet was coming online, and the US Congress introduced the Communications Decency Act, the first attempt to regulate the internet.

Then came her role in organising the first Online Safety Summit for Children in 1996, before going on to work for Twitter, where she created the Twitter Rules and Tools.

She has been in Australia for almost 17 years, so knows the local context. ‘Now having three children of my own, there’s a heightened personal interest as well.’

Those conversations about safety and respect are part of her everyday life. She recently asked her five-year-old twins and 10-year-old daughter if they were comfortable with her posting their photos on her private social media as a way of ‘testing’ the Office’s #TalkB4Sharing initiative

Her message for parents is to get involved. ‘All families have different values, so the way you approach these discussions might differ,’ she says. But respect is a fundamental shared value that we should all be teaching in the home – and at school.

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