Concerns over the possible negative effects of social media are ever growing in tandem with the burgeoning technology within society. More than 90 percent of Australian teenagers aged 14-17 have a smartphone. Access to this type of technology and social networking changes the playing field for young people who are simultaneously developing a sense of identity and new social relationships.
The eSafety Commissioner released a study in 2020, ‘The digital lives of Aussie teens’ (eSafety.gov.au, 2020) which outlined this group spend a large amount of their time online on a range of activities. This is not particularly surprising given the critical role the internet played in connecting people to services, information, friends and family during the COVID-19 restrictions. It highlights that while social media preferences are changing, mainstream players such as YouTube, Instagram and Facebook continue to capture much of this group's attention. Newer services, including TikTok and Discord have, however, made significant inroads into the youth market in Australia over a relatively short period of time.
While teens’ increased use of technology offers many benefits such as being able to research topics of interest and connect with family and friends, there is a downside – teens continue to deal with negative online experiences including unwanted contact, cyberbullying and harassment. The eSafety Commissioner (eSafety.gov.au, 2020) outlined from their study that teens are proactively taking some form of action after a negative online experience, whether that is managing it themselves, such as reporting, or speaking to friends and family. However, more work needs to be done to drive behavioural change given a large percentage of teens continue to ignore potentially harmful experiences or believe nothing will change.
The Find Your North (FYN) student wellbeing framework is the foundation for a system of support at The Lakes College. Guided by Martin Seligman’s PERMA wellbeing model but contextualised for The Lakes College, FYN provides a base for educational wellbeing at the TLC. We believe that wellbeing is the foundation or the plate on which our learner’s find their feet and strength, and once steadied, the Lakes Learners will flourish with the support of embedded policies and practices that support educational wellbeing.
As a part of our Find Your North Wellbeing program, The Lakes College engages and collaborates with Eyes Open Social Media in order to provide social media education for our students, parents, carers and staff. This continued partnership is a proactive and crucial component that works towards educating our community in Digital Literacy. Engagement with this service provides a deep knowledge about how social media platforms function which is vital when ensuring that our young people, families and staff are aware of the risks associated with engaging with this mode of communication. The drive for connection with each other through social media is not a new phenomenon but one that must be understood to ensure that young people have a healthy relationship with social media and the relationships that evolve through this platform, thus seeking an agency for their own wellbeing. During Eyes Open Social Media’s age-appropriate student sessions, the College does not actively encourage students to use social media. We understand that each family within our community have differing views on a child’s access to mobile phones, the internet and social media, and the College wants to work in partnership with our parents to ensure that a consistent message is relayed in the digital literacy space.
Through the engagement with Eyes Open Social Media, families from The Lakes College have previously been given the opportunity to engage in education about the risks and dangers associated with social media use, the knowledge and empowerment to immediately apply privacy and security with easy-to-follow practical solutions, to ensure maximum enjoyment with the lowest possible risk when interacting in the digital world.
If you are interested in the College organising another Eyes Open Social Media session for parents and carers on the topic of Digital Use and Over Addiction, please click on the expression of interest link. This session would run from 7:00pm-8.30pm via a zoom link and the date would be communicated to families if expressions of interest are received.
The topic on Digital Use and Over Addiction has also been presented to our staff in order to support their understanding of this topic. This strengthens their ability to support the pastoral care of young people as this issue is one that students often struggle with.
The Lakes College is consistently taking active steps in educating our students in what is an ever-changing landscape of social media and technology use. Some strategies that TLC have adopted are listed below:
Encourage open discussion
Talking openly about online safety risks, and ways to prevent and deal with them, to provide our students the language and confidence to seek help when they need it. We have found this strategy to be even more effective when the discussion is extended to the whole school community, including parents and carers. As an added measure, in order to ensure that we adequately hear our ‘Student Voice’, our TLC students are engaged in the “Mission Australia Youth Survey’ each year to assist TLC understanding the key matters of importance for our students within our context.
Teach online safety lessons
Provide eSafety sessions and resources to the community to ensure that we are providing the most current advice, including the best pathways for reporting cyberbullying. Our partnership with Eyes Open Social Media and their interaction within our community has been very beneficial in this space.
Call on students to be upstanders
Encourage students to speak up against cyberbullying if it’s safe for them to do so, and check that the person targeted is OK. They are also encouraged to tell a trusted adult if they know someone else is experiencing issues online or if they are going through a hard time themselves.
Provide connection
Ensure students have staff members they feel connected to and activities they can feel a part of, particularly those at high risk of bullying. It is very important that they feel valued as a member of the school community.
Positive Relationships
To encourage and foster positive relationships and experiences within the school environment for members of the community, the College’s Relational Support Policy establishes the values of Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be a Learner. These are the expectations that students and staff will engage within all environments within the College. The Lakes College provides a suite of opportunities for our students (e.g. Red Frogs, Smashed Project, True Relationships) which all touch on building positive relationships and the importance of adopting responsible and safe use of social media within different context (e.g. consent, etc).
Report cyberbullying
Support any student experiencing cyberbullying to report harmful content to the online or electronic service or platform used to send, post or share it. The Lakes College staff work diligently in this space, referring to embedded policies and practices to support the wellbeing of our students if an incident occurs.
Refer students to support services
Children who have experienced cyberbullying can feel a range of emotions from fear to anxiety, anger and a sense of hopelessness. We ensure that our students know how to contact support services such as Kids Helpline and Headspace, and also provide a wrap-around approach at school utilising our Pastoral Team (HOH/DHOP/College Counsellor) for any student with social or mental health difficulties.
The Lakes College staff are often asked by parents what they can do at home in order to support their children. As parents and carers you know your child better than anyone and have the best opportunity to support and guide them to have safer online experiences. The eSafety Commissioner has provided a guide that covers some of the key online safety issues for young people and includes a range of practical tips and advice on what to do if things go wrong. You can also find a list of important services that can offer extra support here - Parents | eSafety Commissioner.
Finding a balance between protection and education remains crucial. At The Lakes College, we always appreciate partnering with our students, families and staff as the wellbeing of young adults is the foundation for flourishing futures.
Anna Doré
Deputy Principal | People & Culture
