2020 showed us just how important it can be to have online skills and so many of us joined in – some enthusiastically, others perhaps a bit concerned about safety.
Each year on Safer Internet Day the world comes together with a shared vision of making online experiences better for everyone.
Swoosh, Glide and Rule Number 5
This year the focus was on making the Internet safer for children. The Government’s eSafety Commissioner released an online safety picture book Swoosh, Glide and Rule Number 5 which tells the adventures of a fun family sleepover for Swoosh and Glide with their sugar glider cousins. The picture book shares some of the common technology experiences of children, shows what to do when something unexpected happens on a screen and highlights safe online practices for the whole family. An excellent resource for grandparents as well!
Build your online skills
You can become more confident about keeping safe online with resources from U3A Nunawading and from eSafety too.
Sign up for a U3A Nunawading computer course – there’s still room in many of them! At U3A Nunawading we have a series of short (1 or 2 session) courses on online safety. Topics being offered this term include ‘Don’t be a Wally Online’ that deals with how to avoid being caught by online scams and ‘Mobile security’ helping you to keep your smartphone and tablet safe. Further online safety topics will be offered throughout the year, so keep your eye open.
You can also learn at your own pace with free Be Connected learning resources and courses. They cover everything from the basics of how to set up your digital devices and access the internet, to more advanced skills including making video calls, using social media accounts, online banking and more. See the range of general topics at Be Connected and the online safety topics at https://www.esafety.gov.au/seniors/staying-safer-online
Help your grandchildren stay safe online
Start with reading Swoosh, Glide and Rule Number 5 with your younger grandchildren. Then download the ‘Online safety for grandparents and carers ‘ booklet or order a printed copy to learn more about the risks and what you can do to help. Go to https://www.esafety.gov.au/seniors/online-safety-grandparents-carers to learn more.