Ways of communicating online
Your child might use different online communication tools for school and other things.
Do you have questions about these tools?
This article talks about four common ways to communicate online and gives you some tips to support your child.
We have also included list of resources on potential risks your child may face when interacting with others online
Email is a way to send messages and files to people over the internet. It's like electronic mail and is usually used in formal communication.
- Common uses:
- Submitting assignments and projects to teachers.
- Receiving important announcements and updates from schools.
- Potential risks:
- Spam and phishing emails or receiving too many emails.
- Tips for parents:
- Remind your child to check their email regularly so they don't miss any important information.
- Teach your child how to identify suspicious emails and what to do. You can complete this activity to learn how to manage spam. It only takes around 5 minutes!
Video calls
Video Calls let you talk to people face-to-face on your electronic device without any geographic limitations. They are ideal for having meetings, talking in real time, and working together in an engaging way!
- Common uses:
- Going to online classes or workshops.
- Working on projects with classmates or doing virtual activities together.
- Potential risks:
- Problem with devices and internet connection.
- People seeing or hearing things they shouldn't.
- Tips for parents:
- Choose a quiet place for video calls.
- Remind your child not to accept calls from strangers.
- Remind your child to blur their background and be on mute when not speaking.
For more information about video call and how to set it up on different apps and devices, please read this e-Safety article.
Chat
Chat is instant messaging. It is best for quick conversations and is available on most social media platforms.
- Common uses:
- Chatting with friends after school.
- Working on projects or sharing ideas with classmates.
- Potential risks:
- Misunderstanding messages because tone and expression can be easily misinterpreted.
- People seeing or using messages in the wrong way.
- Tips for parents:
- Remind your child to be careful about sharing personal information in messages and be careful when getting messages from people they don't know.
- Encourage your child to use chat carefully and think before sending messages.
- Check out this article on using instant messaging safely.
Forums
Forums are online places for discussion. People can write messages to talk and share information about a particular topic. Users in the same forum usually share the same interests or are involved in the same project.
- Common uses:
- Joining in discussion for a project or an area of interest.
- Giving or getting help with schoolwork.
- Potential risks:
- People saying mean things to each other, and everyone can see it.
- Having too much information to read and not knowing what's important.
- Tips for parents:
- Teach your child to be respectful to other online users.
- Teach your child to use the search function (Control/Command F) to find keywords on a text-heavy web page so they can find the information easily. This video shows you how to use it.
Resources
For more information on potential risks your child may face when interacting with others online, and how to deal with them, please check out these resources:
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