Big Ted, Jemima and their friends from Play School have teamed up with the eSafety Commissioner to help families with young children kick off good online safety habits in 2020.
The new Family Tech Agreement is designed to make it easier for parents and carers to set boundaries around the use of digital devices like tablets, smart TVs and gaming consoles. The Play School characters have been included to help young children understand each rule.
“The amount of time young children spend online is a common concern for parents, so the Family Tech Agreement is a great way to have conversations and manage expectations around technology use, from an early age,” says eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant.
“These rules not only provide parents with tools to help keep their children safer online, they encourage kindness when using technology and help limit potential ‘tech tantrums’.”
Rules include asking before using a device or playing a new game online, only using devices in shared spaces of the home and only talking to people you know online.
“ABC Children is excited to collaborate with the eSafety Commissioner on the Family Tech Agreement. Young children are surrounded by technology, so with the help of the Play School toys (trusted friends of our audience) we’re giving them the best tools to navigate the digital world to ensure they have a safe and positive experience online,” says Amanda Isdale, ABC Children’s Development and Co-Production Manager.
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, Paul Fletcher MP, said, “The Morrison Government is committed to keeping Australians, particularly children, safe online. It is important parents and carers help their children to establish healthy habits with digital devices as they grow up. I encourage families to download the Family Tech Agreement and start these conversations about online safety from a young age.”
The Family Tech Agreement is the first of eSafety’s newly developed Early Years resources, being rolled out in 2020 to support children under 5, their families and early childhood educators.
Advice about choosing good online content for young children is also now available at esafety.gov.au/parents/children-under-5/esafety-early-years