Cyber safety course a first for Pilbara

With one of the highest number of Facebook pages per capita in WA, Karratha is no stranger to social media, but a local technology expert says users often lack awareness of the risks.

Teck-Nology director Esther Anderson is about to start what is believed to be the first course on cyber safety for parents and their children to be run in the Pilbara.

She said the idea arose out of the widespread lack of awareness she saw among residents about the potential for danger on the internet, especially for children.

“I look around and see how little adults know,” she said. “The kids are more tech-savvy than the adults, but they’re still getting themselves into trouble.

“The parents don’t understand. Twenty years ago it was park your children in front of a television and come back when they’re 16, but unfortunately it’s not the same thing with an iPad.”

Ms Anderson said cyber safety dangers ranged from adult prowlers to children’s school peers and her course covered precautions parents could take to reduce the risks.

“There are a lot of predators out there,” she said. “You have cyber bullying. You have what they call catfish, that’s impersonation. You have profile theft.

“If the filters aren’t on, and the parents aren’t saying right, computers are in the sitting room, and the computers are in their bedrooms, the parents have no idea where their children are going online. And you would never let your child go there if you were with them.

“I’m teaching the adults, this is what you look for, and then you pass it on to your children, so they know how to be a little bit more sceptical, and don’t trust everybody, and what they’re to look for.”

The course involves a discussion of key cyber safety issues, a question-and-answer session and a tutorial on how to set privacy controls.

Cyber-bullying was a particular growing concern for as Ms Anderson, who said figures showed 51 per cent of schoolchildren have been subjected to bullying online, while schools were still learning how to address it.

The cyber safety course starts on Thursday, May 26 from 6.30-8.30pm at the Pam Buchanan Centre.

For more information, go to the Teck-Nology Design and Marketing Facebook page.