are your teens safe online?
Date: Wednesday, November 30
Time: 6.00pm - 7.00pm
Venue: Room N117 at The Sir Ian Wood Building, RGU’s Garthdee campus
Cost: Free
Sexting, frape, bullying, revenge porn. The constant headlines about teens’ potential misuse of social media make sobering reading. How can we ensure that they act responsibly online when they are able to access the internet 24/7?
Robert Gordon University (RGU) is joining forces with Police Scotland to host an event aimed at offering advice to teenagers and their parents about staying safe online.
Professor Sarah Pedersen, Professor of Communication and Media at RGU, will offer advice on how to help your teens stay safe online and how to ensure that short-term actions don’t have long-term consequences.
Sarah’s research covers the use of the Internet by both teenagers and their parents, particularly social media, and she has previously spoken on these matters at events such as Techfest and an Internet Offending Conference organised by the Northern Community Justice Authority. She also writes a monthly online column for the Aberdeen Press & Journal on social media.
She said: “It is so important that teens understand some of the potential repercussions, both now and in the future, of their use of social media.
“I hope that this event will offer an opportunity to start conversations in families about acknowledging and assessing risk online.”
Mark Lambley, Detective Sergeant of the National Child Abuse Investigation Unit, Police Scotland, will also speak to teens and their parents on the impact of online actions.
He said: “Social media and the internet is part of our daily lives and is of huge importance and value. With it being part of our everyday routines whether it's shopping, social networking or banking it can be easy to forget that the information we post online can potentially be available for everyone and anyone to see.
“We are delighted that RGU is hosting this event and want to encourage teenagers and their parents to do everything they can to stay safe online."
The event will be held on Wednesday November 30 from 6pm to 7pm in Room N117 at The Sir Ian Wood Building, RGU’s Garthdee campus.
If you would like to attend please e-mail s.lynch1@rgu.ac.uk to register or call 01224 262036.