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 Tech gadgets are undoubtedly among the most popular gifts for kids landing under Christmas trees around the world this year. With smart home technology and the internet of things (IoT) creeping into our lives many of the top tech gifts for kids this Christmas require connectivity to apps, platforms and cloud services. If drones, smartwatches and fitness trackers, VR headsets, gaming consoles and smart phones/devices are on your youngster's wish list, it's important to get on the front foot when it comes to tech gift cyber safety. No matter the tech gift this year, be sure to follow our 3 steps to Plan, Prevent and Protect so that you child can enjoy using their new technology safely. STEP 1: Plan
STEP 2: Prevent Most 'smart' tech based gifts require alignment and connection with a mobile phone or tablet App/Application. All of which will require users to create a User Profile and agree to the company's terms of service. Every App has its own set of service policies. We understand terms and conditions can be wordy and long and it is natural to want to move on quickly to the fun stuff. When scanning terms and conditions we recommend looking out for the following key elements:
STEP 3: Protect
Tip: Setting up safe online profiles Many tech gadgets will connect to apps on smart phones/tables. When creating online profiles we recommend you:
Top TeCH GIFT 1: MOBILE PHONES Over the past decade, a culture has developed here in Australia, that when a child graduates from primary school and heads off to secondary school a mobile phone is an essential personal item. In more recent times we have seen this trend filter down to children of even younger age groups. Mobile devices including Smart Phones and tablets are the portal to Social Networking and web browsing whereby young children have access to the world in their pocket. If a mobile phone or connected tablet is on this years present list here are some important steps you'll need to take to get it right from the start. Disable Device Location Settings:
Discuss Posting Protocols:
Monitor:
Access Parental Controls: Here at the Cyber Safety Project we are all for educating young people with safe practices and understanding the importance of safety precautions. There are however some great technologies available to parents to provide peace of mind when it comes to device use and monitoring what they children are exposed to. You may wish to explore software tools such as Family Zone or the new inbuild Family Monitoring features on the latest iOS update (for iPhone TOP TECH GIFT 2: SMART WATCHES & FITNESS TRACKERS A smart watch is a mobile device with a touchscreen display, designed to be worn on the wrist, often connected to an additional device such as smart phone or table. This enables data and information to be fed back to an App that provides analytics on your performance as well as acts as a secondary device for SMS messaging and even answering phone calls. If your child's new smart watch or fitness tracker is paired with a Mobile App we recommend following our Plan, Prevent and Protect steps and review our Setting Up Safe Profiles above. TOP TECH GIFT 3: VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) HEADSETS VR Headsets fall into two categories, Mobile or Tethered. Tethered VR headsets connect to a device such as a PC or gaming console. Whilst, mobile headsets generally require the use of a smart phone with app connectivity to enjoy the immersive nature of Virtual Reality. As soon as you are required to download an App for immersive VR gaming or simulations you will be required to 'sign up' to the platform. In this case you must be aware of the games and apps your children are downloading, accessing and what information they may be inputting into this platform to gain access to the game or App. As each game or App has it's own set of terms, features and capabilities the Plan, Protect and Prevent strategy must be put in place. PLAN: Ensure your children ask you permission before downloading any app. This will provide you with the time and opportunity to research, play and understand the nature of the game/app, terms of use and the data it may request when signing up. Look out for in-game purchases and ensure you disable this feature. PROTECT: Monitor the use of these immersive games and check for adult themes and levels of violence. PREVENT: Set up a safe profile and review the settings to explore what you can control. TOP TECH GIFT 3: GAMING CONSOLES Create Safe Console Accounts: Stay in control by accessing the game consoles built in parent controls. These enable parents to decide what content their children can access and which functions that they are able to use.
Disable in Game Purchases: We have all heard of the credit card horror stories of young children accidently (or in some cases, knowingly) wracking up a hefty credit card bill through in-app/game purchases. After all, who doesn't want some more 'hay' in that farming app at the click of a button, or to upgrade your avatar skin to obtain additional status in your game? Two key recommendations are:
Understand Online Collaboration Features: Connecting with strangers online doesn't just happen on Social Media platforms, the gaming world is hyperconnected and highly collaborative. If your children play gaming consoles there is no doubt that they will have access to games that allow them to play, chat and even stream live video with other connected players from all over the world.
Set game play limits and life balance: Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation officially recognised gaming addiction as a mental health condition. Similar to gambling mechanisms, popular games such as Fortnite make use of bright colours, sounds and reward systems design to keep players within the game. This method is called operant conditioning, where high level rewards occur randomly encouraging players to 'just play one more round' with the chance of a big reward. Not all children will become addicted to gaming, however according to our 2018 Digital Habits Survey, 83% of parents do worry about time spend on gaming and find it challenging to manage screen time and game play. A few things to consider when managing game play and strategies to assist your children with building skills to self-regulate for a healthier balance of daily activity:
TOP TECH GIFT 4: DRONES Amongst other things, drones can take in some awesome views and share these directly to your smartphone as an image or video. With their long range GPS, WiFi connection and built in cameras, professional (and amateur) photographers are now hitting the skies to take some incredibly creative photos. Drones are becoming social! Like most technologies and interest groups, social networking has now become a big player in the drone game. When you connect your Drone to its associated mobile/tablet app, it may also connect you to the SkyPixel. A social networking platform for drone photography enthusiasts. You can upload your flight videos and photos for other SkyPixel members to like and comment. They can become your fan, follow you and send direct messages. Be wary of location settings! Like many Drones and associated Apps, The GPS features is a critical element of this technology. With location services turned on, your drone will be able to 'return to home base'. This is a great feature if you're a rookie drone pilot and lose track of your drone mid-flight, however this raises alarm bells for the Cyber Safety Project team when it comes to younger users of this technology - especially when connecting their profile to SkyPixel where users of all ages from around the world can connect with them. TOP TECH GIFTS 5: SMART HOME HUBS The internet can now be integrated into just about anything! Kitchen appliances, smart TVs, smartphones, in our cars... it was only a matter of time before the internet became integrated into our every day living. These nifty Smart Hubs can be lots of fun. Ask any home hub to play your favourite music, read out a recipe or find the answer to your burning question. You can even link these hubs to your smart home technology to activate or control appliances. Just remember that any smart, internet connected device is constantly listening out for you to interact and records every transaction. Much of this data is collected by the home hub or associated apps connected to your profile. Our biggest safety tip for these home based devices is to switch these devices off when not in use.
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