Digital Kids Show at Event City Manchester #DigiKids

We were invited to attend the Digital Kids Show held at Event City in Manchester this weekend. This brand new event showcases the latest in kids' tech, toys, games, apps and devices, alongside lots of exciting activities and opportunities to meet and greet some of the UK's best YouTubers.

Both 7 year old Freddy and 14 year old Kezia came to the event with us, and we spent the whole day there (with an hour taken at lunchtime to pop to the Trafford Centre for food - the catering at the event wasn't great for vegetarians).

There are lots of stands at the event with exhibitors such as YouTube Kids, Scalextrix and CBBC.

You can learn about internet safety, discover new STEM toys, listen to stories, play with apps, do some crafts and try yoga. There is an inflatable planetarium where Freddy learned about the star constellations and he visited the moon using a VR headset with Google Expeditions.

Much of the show is dedicated to gaming and whether you want to do some retro gaming, play Minecraft, test drive racing games, experience VR or try out the latest games on the XBox One, there is something for everyone.

The main stage had a line up including Q&A's with YouTubers such as Netty Plays, Smallish Beans, Ethan Gamer, Ash Dubh, LD Shadow Lady and Amy Lee. There were performances from BGT finalists Mythical PSM and Boogie Storm, which we enjoyed. There was also organised meets and greets for autographs and photos with the vloggers.

Highlights of the day included the inflatable Wipe Out equipment which Freddy loved. It was great to get him doing some physical challenges, competing against other kids in such a fun environment.

The Young Driver lessons were brilliant. Freddy drove a Firefly designed for kids aged 5 to 10 and Kezia drove a real full size car, giving her a taste of the road. They both did really well behind the wheel. What a fantastic opportunity and all included in the ticket price!

Freddy discovered Magformers a new construction STEM toy that uses magnetic geometric shapes to build 3D structures. He loved it so much we bought him a set (review to follow). It is a great educational toy that sparks imagination and helps brain development.

We enjoyed a full and action packed day. There was some queuing involved, as is the case with any event and the wi-fi wasn't great inside the venue, but aside from that it was a great experience giving both Freddy and Kezia a chance to try new things. I liked the mix of physical activities alongside the gaming and tech opportunities. There was lots to see and do and learn.

Full and half day tickets are still available for tomorrow (October 30th) priced from £12.50. Most activities are included and Dick and Dom will be there too.

Find out more at: http://www.digitalkidsshow.co.uk/

Keeping children safe from online exploitation with Think U Know

As a mum of five, I have always considered open and honest communication with my children to be one of the most important aspects of parenting. My children have always known that they can talk to me about anything and that I will always approach any problem calmly and without judgment. I can draw on my own experiences to discuss situations and solutions to problems. But the world today is very different to the world I grew up in. The internet and social media has influenced our lives in so many ways, opening up a whole new world of potential risks to young people. Online pornography, sending nudes and online grooming are dangers that can pose harm to our children. At an age where their curiosity about relationships is growing and their hormones are raging, some youngsters may be tempted into doing something online without thinking about the consequence of their actions. These uncharacteristic actions can have devastating results. So it is more important than ever, that we are clued up about the internet and understand the need for digital parenting. Being aware of the possible ways in which kids today view sex, relationships and the internet can help us to support our children giving them the confidence and resilience they need in this modern world.

Think U Know is an online education programme from the National Crime Agency's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command. Providing education about sexual abuse and exploitation, it provides access to practical information and resources to help raise awareness and keep young people safe online. You can also report problems and incidents to the CEOP.

The Think U Know parent's site contains information and advice to support parents looking to find out more about keeping their children safe online. It also features a new video based on the story of Romeo and Juliet, set in the modern world. The famous love story is played out via social media highlighting that although the world changes, children don't. I think this is brilliant.


        


There are practical steps that can be taken as parents, including the use of parental controls on computers and changing privacy settings on apps, but that is only one aspect of keeping children safe online.  Children won't always access the internet from home so they need to be educated and made aware of the potential online dangers, and they need to know that if a problem arises they can discuss it with a trusted adult. There is an ongoing need to talk to young people about sex, relationships and the internet, and as technology advances, we need to keep up with the advancements in communication through the varying technologies and social media apps available to our children.


*I have been compensated for this post but retain all editorial control*

An Open Letter to the Internet - My Biggest Online Fear

Dear Internet,

You and I have had a very healthy and happy relationship for years.  You entertain me.  You make my life easier and more interesting.  You are always there when I need you; reliable, accessible and reassuring. You are a wise friend and an expert that I look up to when I need advice.  Through you I have found many friends and discovered some wonderful and inspiring ideas to enrich my life.  You give me a creative outlet and gave me a new lease of life when I needed it most.

I want too for my children to enjoy the wonderful resource that is the online world.  I want them to be free to play, chat, read, watch videos and run through the myriad paths of knowledge and discovery with joyful abandon.  But sadly I know there is danger lurking out there.  These dangers are my biggest fear.

Because, dear internet, you have a dark side.  A side that terrifies me.  And when it reared its ugly head I felt powerless and horrified by its emergence as it run amok in our life.

You see I have a daughter.  A beautiful, intelligent, talented, amazing daughter.  But a daughter who has become a little bit broken because of you. A daughter who has suffered at your hands, or moreover at the hands of those who use you to to abuse, bully and destroy others.

A daughter whose vulnerability was exploited through the use of cruel words, insults and instructions on how she should kill herself, which wormed their way into her psyche.  Messages sent by weak, cowardly people intent to cause maximum pain and suffering. With the ease of anonymity and the ability to do and say things that they would never have the courage to say face to face, they were able to chip away at my daughter's confidence with no thought of the consequences. Begging them to stop only served to fuel their venom, as they descended like a pack of hyenas waiting for the kill.  Exploiting weakness and breaking down defences with words meant to hurt.  Cruel, cutting words typed anonymously on a keyboard by pathetic perpetrators who hid behind an anonymous facade to attack her for whatever sick and twisted reason it was that motivated them.

Thankfully she survived.  She weathered the storm and came through the other side. She had support. She found the courage. It stopped. We moved on and put this episode behind us. But you never forget.  She didn't come out unscathed.  She was hurt. Violated by their hatefulness.  The scars on her wrists will be a constant reminder to her.  And to me.

So dear internet, although I love you, I wish you had the power to prevent these anonymous bullies from having the unencumbered freedom to hurt others because they are somehow different to them or are a threat to their own insecurities.  Virtual bullying. Cyber bullying.  It's no less dangerous, no less damaging than any other form of mental abuse.  Just ask the families with children who didn't come through the other side. Those who didn't have the support to get through it.  Just ask those that mourn teen suicide victims. Those kids that were psychologically beaten down and forced into doing the unthinkable as their only way of escape.

We can try to equip our children with the emotional tools to deal with this kind of violation. But sometimes, despite our best efforts, it manages to worm its way into a child's mind, paralysing them with shame and degradation.  Hitting a nerve that makes them powerless to stop it.  With the wisdom of age, we know that victims could easily disconnect their wi-fi, switch off their phones and turn their back on the source of their pain.  But many vulnerable youngsters have their own deep inner insecurities stoked and can't simply walk away.  The hate directed towards them reflects the self-loathing that grows from the constant belittling and berating they suffer online. They cannot separate the two. It's a form of self-harm to suffer at the bullies' hands. It's a vicious circle.  A cycle with potentially fatal consequences.

This dark side is my biggest internet fear. I fear it because I have seen it. The helplessness. The relentlessness. The violation. I fear it because it just too easy for the trolls and the bullies to execute their cowardly attacks from their virtual hideaways, ruining lives and invading the personal space of their vulnerable victims without a second thought.  Tearing down confidence, shattering trust and trampling over the remaining fragile sense of self, from the comfort of their own bedrooms armed with only a keyboard and a frightening lack of empathy or humanity.

Anyone, anywhere can become a victim.  The next prey.  And it can escalate fast.  And it is utterly merciless. I may fear it, but it has made me more vigilant. Stronger.  More aware. Ready to react if ever again I recognise the signs. I just hope and pray that I never, ever have to see it again.


Yours,

Wendy





“This post is my entry into the Check and Secure challenge. For more advice on family safety online, see Mums on Security.”

TalkTalk HomeSafe - Keeping Families Safer Online

In today's world, we are all under threat from potentially dangerous situations involving the internet.  Our identities, our bank details, our online credibility, our precious photographs, our music collections and our hardware itself are all risk from online crime and viruses.  But potentially more damaging than any of that, is the risk to our own children's safety.

Thankfully, there are things we can do to protect ourselves from such risks and keep our families safer online.  For TalkTalk Broadband customers, HomeSafe provides a simple way to keep control over the websites accessed by the household.  Any type of site deemed unsuitable can be blocked across all devices connected to your TalkTalk broadband.  This means you can prevent your children from accessing sites that feature gambling, pornography or other unsuitable content whether they are on their phones, laptops or PCs.

HomeSafe also features a Homework Time setting where you can set a time where children are banned from accessing social media and gaming websites to prevent them procrastinating online when they should be doing their homework. Useful if this is a bone of contention in your household!

HomeSafe is incredibly easy to use.  You simply access your TalkTalk account online and switch Kids Safe and Homework Time to ON.  There is also a Virus Alert which blocks infected websites to prevent you from getting a virus on your devices by accessing dangerous sites.

The beauty of HomeSafe is its simplicity.  You are in complete control from the moment you switch the protection on, giving you confidence and peace of mind when the kids are online.  It's a great free service for parents who want to keep their family safe from some of the potential risks of being online.

For £2 a month you can upgrade to the Super Safe boost which also protects your identity, bank details and other information from security threats and detects and removes existing infections, keeping you protected wherevr you are connected online.

You can test how internet savvy you are by taking the Internet Age Calculator quiz.  The Internet Age Calculator puts your online knowledge to the test by asking eight questions about the online world to give you an internet age based on research of 1,000 7-14 year olds. 

I did quite well and got the same score as a savvy teenager!  You can take the test here.

For top tips on how to keep the family safe and to find out more about TalkTalk's range of services, take a look at their website atwww.talktalk.co.uk.

We are trialing TalkTalk as part of their Family Blogger programme.