A step in the right direction for children’s online safety

Connectivity matters. It drives the way we socialise, is relied on for banking,  and increasingly shapes how we learn. Digital connectivity creates immeasurable opportunities, yet a lot of damage can be done with words and actions on the internet. Being in the business of connecting customers to their world means that we have a responsibility to play a part in ensuring the community has the necessary skills to safely and effectively use their devices. We acknowledge we have a role in creating a safer, more respectful online world.

Since 2013, Optus has been providing primary and secondary students with our award winning Digital Thumbprint program. Through facilitator-led and teacher-led digital interactive workshops, students learn the principles of online safety and wellbeing as well as encouraging positive online behaviour around privacy, security and responsible technology use. Being one of the longest running digital safety and wellbeing education program in Australia, it has evolved beyond the school gate by providing families with free interactive and engaging resources to support and encourage important conversations.

There are a number of resources to support young people and their parents or carers, including:

There are many conflicting ideas on when the best time is to get your child their first smartphone. Maybe they have started travelling to school independently or you can no longer endure the relentless plea of, “Daaaad, can I have a phone!”. While there is advice on the best age, parents are better placed assessing their child’s readiness based on their social maturity and critical thinking capability. So we recently launched resources that provide our customers with practical tools, such as our new First Phone Quiz and Guide, to help parents, like myself, evaluate their child’s readiness for their first phone. The quiz is supported by a guide with conversation starters and family activities, aimed at providing parents with a starting point for those important conversations, including what’s next after they get their first smartphone. This includes maintaining open and regular conversations about social media accounts and how to independently be safe online – which is critical.

Having a device has many benefits, but it also raises some critical challenges for young people such as bullying. So much so, Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative, ‘Bullying No Way: National week of action is coming up on August 12-14, 2024.  This week supports schools to work with parents, students and their communities to find practical solutions against bullying. We also offer a Cyberbullying quiz and guide to empower children to be an upstander (someone who chooses to support a person who is being abused or harmed) and learn what to do about it when they see this occur.

The internet is a wonderful place for kids to find information and have fun, but we are increasingly seeing that this connectivity makes it easier for scammers to contact them and their families. To help prepare children for dealing with the risks of online scams, Optus’ Digital Thumbprint has created the Stay Ahead of Scams through Family Discussions guide. Our interactive 'scammers and fake friends’ quiz helps children test their defence skills to avoid cyber criminals.

Optus’ Digital Thumbprint program, which has been endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider, began in 2013 and was one of the first national programs of its kind. The program has since provided free workshops and supported over 620,000 primary and secondary students from over 1,100 unique schools across the country, to build digital safety and wellbeing awareness. This financial year, we’re aiming to reach an additional 60,000 young people.

What’s behind these numbers are the real people utilising these resources to improve their online experiences. A year 8 student from Victoria told us that, “Before the Digital Thumbprint workshop I didn’t care as much about others online. I was just on there to use it and have entertainment. After the workshop, I got more perspective of the viewer and creator of a post and who that other person is.”

We know that staying safe is a two-way job. We are constantly holding up the mirror to see what more Optus can do to innovate and use our resources to ensure connectivity is used positively. This is a role we take seriously.

Now is a pivotal moment to improve digital safety and ensure that children have the digital literacy skills needed to have positive and safe experiences online. I am confident that the Digital Thunbprint program will continue to have a material effect on the next generation of technology users, improving digital spaces for users worldwide. To find out more about the Optus Digital Thumbprint program and how to access the free workshops and resources for families, visit https://www.digitalthumbprint.com.au/.