Ulster Unionist Party spokesperson for Children and Young People, Sandra Overend MLA, has used the opportunity of UK Safer Internet Day 7th February and its theme ‘Connecting generations and educating each other’ to highlight the need for parents and children to use the internet safely.
The Mid-Ulster MLA commented:
“The Internet is a fantastic resource for all our lives but it brings new challenges for us in keeping children safe in a virtual world. I would urge all parents (and I include myself in this) to take an interest in their children’s interaction in the on-line world and to talk to them directly about keeping safe”.
Sandra continued:
“Facebook and twitter etc. can be overwhelming for parents, especially since the digital revolution is so much a part of our children’s lives and the pace of change is so rapid. Common sense advice around not putting identifying information up on-line, the use of privacy settings, seeking help when they feel uncomfortable on line and helping children to understand the very public nature of social networking are every bit as important to address as road safety for example.”
As UUP Spokesperson for Children and Young People, Sandra has indicated her particular interest in internet safety and child protection. Following a series of Assembly Questions to government departments in Northern Ireland she has written to OFMDFM Junior Ministers to suggest the Ministerial subgroup on children and young people take a better co-ordinating role in this area of child protection.
Sandra concluded:
“I hope we can use the opportunity of Safer Internet Day to look again at what action can be taken to better protect children on-line in Northern Ireland. The Internet and, in particular social media, is an area which impacts on a huge number of children and parents and therefore it is an area of concern that I have picked up in my constituency work also”.