Vodafone Digital Parenting magazine
When my friends finally get their head around what it is that I actually do (and I've yet to find a way to explain it to my mother), many of them ask me for advice about online child safety issues.
What they are looking for is a one-stop-shop which will tell them everything they need to know about online teens, choosing safety controls, mobile controls, limiting screen-time, choosing social networks, dealing with cyberbullying, pornography, self-harm, liaising with schools .. the list goes on. Up until now I've usually referred them through to CEOP's Think u Know and Beatbullying (and I still recommend these sites highly) - but last week I was introduced to Vodafone's Digital Parenting Magazine, which is available on and offline for free and gives a really good all-round look at issues faced by us parents trying to raise our digital children.
The magazine is a well put together good-looking, content rich coffee-table number, with edition #2 just out. It's full of interesting expert opinions, guides and 'reader experiences', pitched well and covering an excellent range of topics, from social media and mobile phones through to gaming. Free copies are being distributed to parenting groups, local education authorities and other relevant organisations: reaching groups of parents simultaneously and therefore helping to promote discussions at home, inside school and at the school gates.
To order copies of Digital Parenting, you can either:
- Email [email protected] to request an order form
- Request copies online at http://www.theparentzone.co.uk/order/digital_parenting
- Request copies over the phone on +44 (0)207 704 0415.
Read more about it's development and how the first issue was received at The Parent Zone.
I would definitely recommend it as an entertaining and informative read ... however, for the pub-table conversations with my time-pressed digitally-harassed friends, I'm going to direct them simply to the Vodafone Parents Section, the hub in which the magazine resides.
Vodafone Parents section
Here is much of the same material but without the colourful entertaining layouts: great to dip into for the time-poor who are seeking specific information. Take some time with the menu on the right: a really comprehensive list of topics through which you can drill down to the exact subject you need.
Under 'Get started' check out the 'checklists by age': helpful suggestions for age-appropriate conversations and actions:
For its clarity and broad coverage, I rate the 'Get to Grips' section with its explanations of platforms, digital media, games and apps, all designed to help non-digital natives understand the devices and technologies by which their children are surrounded. You know, the stuff you know you should know - and you can't face the humiliation of asking your teen what it was again?
The 'Get Involved' section focuses on the key issues that a child might face in their digital world, such as managing their online reputation, downloading and copyright, cyberbullying, sexting, identity theft, Sexual identity & relationships ... clear and practical advice is offered on each topic, including step-by-step Facebook privacy settings. Information is also there on less obvious subjects, such as misleading content, mobile phones and health (admittedly, Vodafone may have an axe to grind there) and online gambling.
Most topics are divided into:
- What do I need to know
- What action can I take?
- Where can I go for more information and support?
and are clearly explained, with plenty of links, all the sources of further help and reporting links which you would expect and even a handy jargon buster under the magazine section.
There are various 'How To' guides as well, which - provided they are kept updated - would be very useful: How to set up the Vodafone Guardian app, Vodafone Content Control, BlackBerry® Parental Controls, Facebook privacy controls, Google Safe Search, and YouTube Safety Mode.
It's really good to see so much good advice, so well researched, catalogued and aimed at its target. Do keep the link and pass it on. Even those of us closer to the digital worlds inhabited by our offspring may need some help sometimes ...