A short guide to live streaming
LIVE-streaming has become a popular feature of many apps and platforms. By understanding why it is popular and what potential risks your child may face, you can help them have a more positive online experience.
Live-streaming technology lets you watch, create and share videos in real time, a bit like live TV. All you need to be able to live stream is an internet enabled device, like a smart phone or tablet, and a platform (such as a website or app) to live stream from.
Current popular live-streaming apps include Facebook Live, Instagram Live stories, Twitch TV (often used by the gaming community), House Party and Tik Tok.
Unlike pre-recorded videos that can be cut and edited, live-streaming is just that – live and uncensored.
STREAMS
Some live streams can be private. For example, video conferencing, like Skype or Zoom, uses live streaming technology to allow you to talk to people you have invited. To make sure they stay private, they should be password protected and passwords shouldn’t be shared with people you don’t know.
Some live streams are public and might be watched by hundreds or even thousands of people.
Viewers can comment and interact live by posting messages that appear beside the live stream. They can also share emojis such as hearts, and gifts such as coins which appear on the screen.
Why is live streaming popular? The inspiration to live stream comes from reality TV and YouTube, where you can broadcast anything you are doing, right there in the moment, all across the world.
Live-streaming is appealing to children and young people, particularly primary aged children. It gives them a chance to be a creator, a presenter and to be seen and heard by an audience and connect to their favourite celebrities.
Many live streamers love the sense of being ‘in the moment’ and interacting with family, friends, or even a global audience. From a birthday message to loved ones, to a topical Q and A or a talent showcase, there are endless opportunities to broadcast fun, important, or exciting moments live.
Viewing live streams lets children and young people connect with their own favourite live streamers. They share comments with other viewers and even interact directly with celebrities.
EXCELLENT
When used in positive way, live-streaming is an excellent tool for children and young people to create identity and develop confidence and communication skills.
Children and young people enjoy getting attention and praise, and self-expression is important for development. Sharing something and getting positive feedback from others can be the ultimate confidence boost and build their self-esteem.
Live-streaming also allows children and young people to connect with people with similar interests, views and going through similar experiences. This can help some young people feel less socially isolated.
Live streamers can also receive financial rewards, which is an exciting goal for some young people. For example, audiences can gift virtual coins which can be turned into money.
How you can help your child stay safe while livestreaming
There are some practical steps you can take to help keep your child safe if they are using an app or website with a live streaming function.
Talk to them. The best way you can protect your child is to talk to them. Not just once, but have ongoing conversations as part of your family life. Having these discussions little and often is more effective than one big chat.
Talking to your child about the positive aspects of being online and not just the risks will help your child to talk more openly about their internet use, including anything that worries them.
Use devices in public spaces. As young people grow up, they often seek more privacy and autonomy in both their offline and online world. Younger children should be closely supervised by an adult and live streaming should not take place in a private space, like the bedroom or bathroom.
Practice and prepare. Advise them to practice and prepare before they go live. This will minimise the risk of errors, or off-script activity.
Privacy and safety settings. Go through the privacy and safety settings with your child. With younger children make sure only trusted friends and family they know offline can view their online profiles and videos.
Be wary of requests to chat in private. People who are seeking to harm children may try and move them from a public area of an app to a private area to have conversations that are likely to be less moderated. Remind your child to be wary of people they meet online who want to chat to them in private, away way from other people.