Scone teenagers are to use their online expertise to help breach the knowledge gap between themselves and parents.
The youngsters will lead a session aimed at educating and informing the older generation about the internet and how to keep their children safe.
It has become something of a pilot event for Perth and Kinross Council, which had originally envisaged a very different meeting. The Scone Village Association had initially approached the youth services team in Scone to ask staff to host an online safety evening.
After speaking with the teenagers who attend the Scone Youth Group, however, youth services worker Gary Brown and community link worker Marco Allen realised it was the youngsters who had the expertise. Now, they will form a panel at the RDM Primary School in Scone tonight between 7 and 8.30pm.
Parents and carers are invited to attend the evening, which will include opportunities for discussion, a question and answer session and an interactive quiz.
They will look at the latest websites and mobile apps young people are using today and there will also be the chance for all present to look at a wealth of information surrounding internet safety.
Much of the evening’s programme has been formulated by the teenagers, who have been only too happy to take part in the project.
They hope their knowledge will help educate parents and carers and help them to keep younger children safe as they use the internet, whether on computers, tablets or mobile phones.
“The young people were initially going to play a much smaller part in the information session but Marco and I soon realised that they knew far more than us,” Gary said.
“This is the first time we’ve held an event like this, so it’s become something of a pilot scheme for us.
“We hope that parents will come along and talk to the teenagers to find out about the reality of the online world and help them to gain a better understanding of it.
“Young people seem to know far more about the internet and its uses than their parents. I know that is a sweeping generalisation but it became instantly apparent to the team as we started talking to the young people about our plans.
“The key aim is to keep young people safe and we hope that this event will help with that.”
The session is open to all and there is no need to book a place. For more information contact Gary Brown on 01738 477678 or email garybrown@pkc.gov.uk.