What you need to know before you give your child a smartphone

Listen to this episode from Parental As Anything on Spotify. Is your child on Snapchat, Instagram or Facebook? Ninety-one per cent of Australian teenagers use social media. And it has changed everything you know about how kids bully each other. Bullies used to torment their victims in the schoolyard. Now they can reach your kids any time of the day or night. They can even use anonymous accounts on platforms you’ve never even heard of. So how do you keep your tweens and teens safe from the mean kids and what do you do if they’re bullied online? Maggie Dent talks with Rachel Downie, founder of the website Stymie which supports kids and students being bullied online. WARNING: This episode includes strong language and discussions of youth suicide and self-harm. For more information or support contact: Lifeline 13 11 14https://www.lifeline.org.au/ Parentline 1300 30 1300https://www.parentline.com.au/ Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800https://kidshelpline.com.au/ Make an anonymous notification about a student being bullied or harmedhttps://stymie.com.au/