This is number 5 in a series of great articles designed to put in school newsletters to keep parents informed around the latest cybersafety issues. They have been developed by the Cybersmart team at ACMA and are available via http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/Outreach/Connected.aspx

Schools are encouraged to copy and paste these in your school newsletter or share them online

5 – Supporting your child’s safe mobile phone use

Mobile devices are great for keeping in touch and now with smart phones your child can connect online whenever and wherever they are.

You can support your child’s use of their mobile phone by making them aware of the following:

• Nothing is really ever free. Be wary of advertisements for free downloads; you may be automatically subscribed to a service which can become very expensive. When buying a phone, check details of the plan or contract and don’t accept offers that sound too good to be true.
• Protect your privacy. Only give out your mobile number to people you know and trust. Don’t give out other people’s number without their permission.
• Think before you send or forward mobile content such as photos, texts and videos. Where might they end up?
• Activate security features so that if your phone is lost or stolen, you can protect your personal information.
• If your phone is lost or stolen, notify your network carrier and the police immediately. It is smart to record your unique International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number just in case it is lost or stolen in the future.
• Treat your phone like your wallet. Don’t store bank PINs or other passwords in your phone. Use a pin code to lock your phone if possible.

If you, your child or someone you know wants to talk about mobile phone safety, visit the Cybersmart Online Helpline (www.cybersmart.gov.au/report.aspx) or call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.

DEECD resources can be found http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/bullystoppers/Pages/parents.aspx

Glossary:

Download

To download a file means to transfer it from one computer to another. This can refer to a music file, document or photo, transferred from a website or the internet to a home or work computer.

International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI)

An IMEI is a 15 digit number which uniquely identifies a wireless device such as a mobile phone. The IMEI is usually found on a sticker inside the device or by entering *#06# on the keypad.  To prevent the device being used when lost or stolen, you can ask your service provider to block your IMEI.

A full cybersafety glossary may be found at www.cybersmart.gov.au/glossary.aspx