Navigating the technology maze
Children these days always seem to be busy downloading a podcast, updating their MySpace profile or checking out the latest video clips on YouTube.
But what are these new technologies and why do young people use them?
Queensland University of Technology Senior Lecturer in Creative Industries, Dr Axel Bruns said the attraction is twofold.
'It's partly about developing social networks - making friends and keeping in touch with what friends are doing,' Dr Bruns said.
The other attraction is being able to share content and artistic work they've created themselves, and giving them an outlet to experiment with their identities.
'Kids need to be given opportunities to develop the skills to use these sites effectively because they've become a permanent fixture in today's society.
However, it's important for parents to have a basic understanding of new technologies to ensure their child is using them safely and appropriately.'
Tips for staying safe online
- Keep computers in open areas rather than bedrooms.
- Check websites visited using the computer browser's 'history' function.
- Children should never give out personal information e.g. email addresses, real names or phone numbers.
- Make sure children know people aren't always who they say they are online.
- Ensure a parent accompanies a child if they want to physically meet someone they met online.
- Install an internet filter to block offensive material and protect passwords.
Free internet filters are available from the Federal Government's Net Alert website 
.
Techno snapshot for parents
Download - to copy a file from the internet and save it to a personal computer. You can download songs, brochures, information, pictures and many other items for personal use.
Podcasting - making an audio recording and putting it on the internet, so that other people can listen to it at their own convenience. For example, many radio stations put an audio recording of their program on the internet so that the audience can go online and listen to the show whenever they like, particularly if they miss the 'live' show. The audio recording can also be transferred from the internet to an mp3 player (small audio device) enabling young people to keep a copy of the recording for themselves.
Vidcasting - (also referred to as vodcasting) involves making a video and putting it on the internet for anyone to view. For example, someone could put a home video on a website such as YouTube which could either be viewed on the computer screen, or transferred from the internet onto a portable media player.
YouTube - a website where people can place their own home videos, animations, ads or clips from fi lms or TV.
Flickr - a website containing millions of images and photos from contributors all over the world which are freely accessible to anyone visiting the site.
MySpace - a social networking site. You can create your own personal profi le with information about your work, hobbies and interests, and talk to others about a wide range of topics.
Facebook - a social website that connects people such as old school friends and allows you to upload photos, post videos and send messages to other people.
Google - an online search engine which also offers news, chat rooms and images.
Blog - an online diary where users post thoughts, comments or news in a chronological format. They're updated regularly and available for anyone to read.
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