We’re all spending much more time indoors with the COVID 19 restrictions and my house is no different to anyone else’s, the kids are using loads of tech. I’ve made some use of this, recruiting my eldest to do a bit of data entry but a larger proportion of their time at night is still tech based entertainment.
For young
people (with even more time on their hands now 
) whos’ need to socialize may be greater,
they’re lucky to have lots of creative ways to be connected with their friends digitally
from Netflix Parties to Zoom Parties to TikTok and Snapchat groups.
So What is a Netflix Party?
The Netflix Party
concept is simple. Groups of viewers get
together to simultaneously watch films
and TV shows. Then they can chat and
discuss it, just like a night out at the cinema. How is this even possible you might ask?. Good Question.
Netflix Party
is a Chrome extension for watching Netflix remotely with friends, e.g., for
watching films and TV Shows. It synchronizes
video playback and adds group chat. The
concept of Netflix Party is not new and has been around for some time but with
more people spending time and social distancing it’s currently really gained
popularity. Groups get together to stream Tiger King or the latest films. The Guardian call’s it a ‘life saver’!.
Is Netflix Party Safe?
The first
important bit for parents and carers to understand is that previously Netflix
itself did not have particularly good parental controls in place. This has been changing and Netflix have
started to roll out some new safety controls.
Individual profiles can be locked down with the use of PIN codes,
helping keep children away from adult shows but also helping keep others away
from your Netflix profile.
Within the new
parental controls parents can also tailor their kids Netflix experience by
filtering out titles that aren’t appropriate.
Parents now have the ability to remove individual series or films by
title. When this filter is used, the blocked title(s) won’t show up anywhere in
that profile.
Having your Netflix
account set up correctly for you and the kids and availing of the enhanced
parental controls will help make this a really safe, enjoyable experience. To use Netflix Party, share a link with other
people or click on a link that someone has sent you. Importantly – do have the conversation
about not sharing the link with strangers or publically on social media
platforms and how great it is that that they can hang out with their pals and
watch movies and series together.
Within the
conversation remind young people not to be clicking on links which they receive
from strangers, those received in DMs (Direct Messages) or via emails. Remember there is a chat feature. So always
be careful, tell them not to share personal information, keep the chats to just
friends and keep them positive, kind and friendly.
Enjoy!!
Stay Safe
Online. And off.
Wayne.
>> Read the full article at waynedenner.com
Wayne Denner is a speaker, author and expert on Online Reputation and Wellbeing. Wayne helps young people protect and improve their digital presence. Visit waynedenner.com for more information.
