Analyse and evaluate a website designed for children and young adult
Topic used: Digital materials and resources
Fig. 1: home
- What did I undertake?
I analysed and evaluated a website called Esafety.gov.au run by the eSafety commissioner, the website has a pane across the top with sections for user groups: kids and youth, with support information for parents and schools (eSafety Commissioner, n.d.-a; n.d.-d; n.d.-g; n.d.-h). For each section the page layout changes based on the demographic need. For example, in the kids’ section there are two cartoon characters (see fig. 1) greeting the user to choose to either ‘be an esafe kid’ or ‘I want help with’ with a bright background. For youth it’s a blog style layout, with articles and images, a quick glance keyword section on a backdrop of a deep blue (see fig. 2) (eSafety Commissioner, n.d.-c, n.d.-i).
Fig. 2: eSafey kids
Fig. 3: eSafetyoung people
- What did I learn?
With the rate of technological improvement, young people can face issues surrounding safety online (Zilka, 2016, para. 1). From an Australian standpoint, esmart initiatives help users to increase positive interactions online, whilst making users aware of antisocial and bullying behaviours (n.d.-c, para. 2) the initiatives are in both schools and libraries, backed by industry partners and stakeholders (n.d.-a, para. 19; n.d.-b, para. 1). Abroad, similar initiatives in New Zealand to tackle safety online, with parents information on how to tackle online safety (Department of internal affairs, n.d.-a, n.d.-b) with 1 in 5 kiwi’s are bullied online (Keeping it real online, 2020, 0:51-0:54)(see video below). For younger children, interactive storytelling has helped engage learning on esafety issues (eSafety Commissioner, n.d.-f, para. 3; Lazarinis et al., 2020-173).
- How is this relevant?
It can be seen that E-safety has many directions in which it can go wrong, however, there are differences in whom is going to manage safety issues for children and youths. Given this is a recent change, which could incite sorrow for the victim, these organisations should jointly communicate for the betterment of young people. One way I would do this is to have an esafety panel with the inclusion of these groups, documents highlighting whom children and youth should report to surrounding online issues and for what reason, as well as a step by step guide for individuals effected by online issues. In addition, I would market this through videos, storybooks, social media and school bulletin boards and libraries.
- My knowledge gaps and how would you fill these gaps?
At present, as I am not employed in any industry related to my degree, I have made my focus points broad to cater to many industries and users. If I was a professional in a public library, I would keep up to date with safety threats online (Australian Cyber Security Centre, n.d., paras. 1-10; esafety Commissioner, n.d.-b, para. 1), take part in Safer Internet Day (eSafety Commissioner, n.d.-e, para. 1) and participate with C&YA through resources (Safer internet day, n.d., para. 1) in addition, I would highlight this in the programming, for children speak to adults for their safety needs, with a craft activity, like making a paper person and the e-safety logo on the t-shirt, for youth, jewellery making with ‘esafety’ on the beads and handouts with a QR code linking to esafety websites.
References:
Ausralian Cyber Security Centre. (n.d.). Threats. https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/individuals-and-families/threats
Department of internal affairs. (n.d.-a). Home: Keep it real online. https://www.keepitrealonline.govt.nz
Department of Internal Affairs. (n.d.-b). Parents: Keep it real online. https://www.keepitrealonline.govt.nz/parents
eSafety Commissioner. (n.d.-a). Education. https://www.esafety.gov.au/educators
esafety Commissioner. (n.d.-b). Key issues. https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues
eSafety Commissioner. (n.d.-c). Kids. https://www.esafety.gov.au/kids
eSafety Commissioner. (n.d.-d). Parents. https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents
eSafety Commissioner. (n.d.-e). Safer internet day 2021. https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/events/safer-internet-day-2021
eSafety Commissioner. (n.d.-f). Swoosh, glide and rule number 5. https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/children-under-5/picture-book-and-song/swoosh-glide-and-rule-number-5
eSafety Commissioner. (n.d.-g). Toolkit for schools. https://www.esafety.gov.au/educators/toolkit-schools
eSafety Commissioner. (n.d.-h). Training for professionals. https://www.esafety.gov.au/educators/training-for-professionals
eSafety Commissioner. (n.d.-i). Young people. https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people
eSmart: Alannah & Madeline foundation. (n.d.-a). What are esmart libraries? https://www.esmart.org.au/esmart-libraries/what-is-esmart-libraries/
eSmart: Alannah & Madeline foundation. (n.d.-b). What are esmart schools? https://www.esmart.org.au/esmart-schools/what-is-esmart-schools/
eSmart: Alannah & Madeline foundation. (n.d.-c). What is eSmart? https://www.esmart.org.au/what-is-esmart
Keeping it real online. (2020). Keep it real online – bullying [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBhxVomEN7Y
Lazarinis, F., Alexandri, K., Panagiotakopoulos, C., & Verykios, V. S. (2020). Sensitizing young children on internet addiction and online safety risks through storytelling in a mobile application. Education and Information Technologies, 25(1), 163-174. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-019-09952-w
Safer internet day. (n.d.). Resources. https://www.saferinternetday.org/resources
Zilka, G. (2016). Awareness of eSafety and potential online dangers among children and teenagers. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 16(1), 319-338. http://www.learntechlib.org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/j/JITE-R/