Parenting in an Online World 101: Helping Families Navigate the Digital Age
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to attend a community evening at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō to help whānau better understand and manage the challenges children face online.
Filmmaker, author and speaker Rob Cope, producer of the documentary Our Kids Online, will present Parenting in an Online World 101, a practical session on helping young people stay safer online.
The session will cover key online risks including cyberbullying, social media pressure, gaming, online predators, pornography, artificial intelligence and the sharing of intimate images.
It will also share practical tools for parents and caregivers, including filters and parental controls, safer smartphone settings, healthy boundaries around device use, and ways to have important conversations with tamariki/children and rangatahi/youth.
Cope says keeping children safe online requires a collective effort from families, schools and communities.
“We need to tackle this as a community so that all of our kids are safe. When I protected my kids online, I also protected yours, so please, please protect your kids online so that you are also protecting mine,” he says.
Councillor Jo Mason, Chair of the Community Wellbeing Committee, says the event supports Council’s focus on safer, stronger communities.
“Supporting parents and caregivers to navigate the online world is an important part of creating safer communities. Community safety is a priority within Horowhenua District Council’s Community Wellbeing Strategy, He Hapori Pakari, and a continuing area of focus for the Community Wellbeing Committee. By equipping whānau with practical knowledge and tools, the event aims to strengthen the wellbeing and safety of tamariki and rangatahi both online and offline.”
Parenting in an Online World 101 is open to parents, caregivers and whānau who want to better support their children online.
Event details: Thursday 6 August 2026 at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10 Bath Street, Levin. Doors open at 6pm and the event starts at 6.30pm. This is an R18 event.
Tickets are $10 and available through Eventfinda.