Parents and carers will be taught how to help teenagers manage their mental health when they are online in a free webinar launched by the federal online safety regulator during Mental Health Month.
The eSafety Commissioner will launch a free webinar to provide parents and carers of young people aged 10 to 18 with strategies to help them with their mental health when they are online.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the webinar titled, 'eSafety’s parent and carer’s guide to digital technologies and mental health', was designed to provide those who care for teenagers an understanding of their online world and the risks to their mental health.
“We know what teenagers see online can impact how they feel such as seeing images that promote unrealistic body or image ideals or misinformation or cyberbullying,” Ms Inman Grant said.
“We also know that social media can sometimes increase the negative impact by showing content that is unhelpful. We want families to have the best tools to deal with online risks.”
Ms Inman Grant said the webinar will offer practical ways to start the conversation about social media literacy and it will also provide parents with advice and resources to help them if a young person is sharing content about suicide, self-harm or eating disorders online.
“The webinar will share resources and ideas to help families talk about positive body image and where to go for support for body image issues. It will also cover how to use the tools in games, apps and social media to support mental health,” Ms Inman Grant said.
“With so many new online platforms and an infinite amount of information available to teens, its important Australian parents have these conversations in an informed way.
“I encourage parents and carers to take the time to learn about online safety through this free and interactive webinar or to visit the eSafety website for a wealth of information.”
Register here for the six webinars, which will run between October 18 to November 19.