Advertising

Consumer rights

Entertainment

Premium services

Security

Social media

Getting started

This set of digital activities is for teens in Years 7 – 8. It supports the development of consumer and financial literacy skills related to mobile phones such as understanding that usage has consequences on mobile phone credit and or post-paid plans, managing access to services such as social media to minimise costs and recognising that a mobile phone needs to be protected like a wallet.

The learning design features branching scenarios which provide opportunities for teens to role play within a scenario, make decisions on mobile phone use and then see the consequences of their actions.

Through the use of status meters, teens are encouraged to reflect on their mobile phone use, the views of a peer group within the scenario and how their parents would react to how they have used the mobile phone within the scenario.

Positive behaviours are reinforced throughout the scenarios with references to data meters, checking with parents for advice and guidance, and information on how to get help from your mobile phone provider or other agencies. On completion of an activity teens can try it again to change the way they use the mobile phone and improve the overall outcome of the scenario. Some scenarios feature an interactive slider which allows them to experiment with mobile phone usage to see the consequences on their plan.

Activity duration is approximately 15 minutes per scenario, although this may vary if teens are undertaking them with an adult or as a self guided activity. This set of activities can be used on a computer or iPad.

Besides these Parent notes the front page of each activity provides links to:

  • Teacher notes
  • Curriculum mapping
  • End user specifications
  • Contact details
  • Copyright information

What are the activities?

PLEASE NOTE: All activities are simulated within the scenarios. There is no direction or requirement to subscribe to real apps or services, make calls on a mobile phone, or send SMS messages.

Advertising

The scenario in this activity provides students with options to subscribe to apps 'FriendSpy' and 'WhereRU', and to enter a 'CruzeShoes' competition. If students decide to subscribe their 'personal data' is given to advertisers who send spam SMS. The activity demonstrates that giving away personal data such as your images, location and contact details is an invitation to advertisers who use various techniques to influence purchasing including sending spam SMS.

Consumer rights

This scenario explores the consumer guarantees that protect consumers when purchasing products. In the scenario, students will make decisions about the purchase of a mobile phone – such as colour, plan type and tailoring phone capabilities to their needs. Students will then be prompted to decide what options they have for redress in situations where the mobile phone they have purchased was the wrong colour out of the box or isn’t able to be used in the way they told the seller they wanted to use it.

Entertainment

In this scenario students need to keep their data usage within their $29 mobile phone plan. They are presented with various options related to installing and playing the 'Wackyville game' on their mobile, inapp purchasing of game 'gems' and choosing to watch a video. Students can take up an option immediately which will impact on their data usage or delay playing the game or watching the video until they can access their home network. The decisions students make have an impact on their mobile phone usage account.

Premium services

In this scenario students find out that nothing is really free and if it sounds too good to be true it probably is! They have the choice to vote in 'Top Voice' for their favourite act via SMS to receive free ringtones and wallpapers. After entering their mobile phone number for the chance to win 'heaps' of free prizes they receive a lot of spam messages. The scenario also explores what a premium service is and how to subscribe and unsubscribe from one.

Security

Different security issues are explored in this scenario including giving away personal data by entering a competition, subscribing to a 'dodgy app' that steals data, and leaving a mobile phone unattended in a public place. Students are provided with opportunities to respond to each security issue and see the potential consequences of their decisions such as extra mobile charges, theft from a bank account and cyberbullying.

Social media

This scenario involves making decisions about a range of activities on a mobile phone including managing social networking features and sharing videos and photos. In this scenario students are on a $29 pre-paid plan and can run out of credit or even incur extra data charges.

Where to get help?

The following table is available at the end of this document as a separate printable handout for easy reference.

Issue / First point of contact / Still need help?
Cyberbullying / Parents/school / Kids Helpline

1800 55 1800
Mobile handset problem / Mobile service provider / (Where the handset is supplied as part of a contract)
TIO:
1800 062 058 or through their website at
(Where the handset is bought outright by the consumer)
Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs in the consumer's state.
Phone plan issue / Mobile service provider / TIO
Post-paid account billing or pre-paid account issues / Mobile service provider / TIO
Premium services / Premium service provider / TIO
Theft – bank account / Banking provider
Theft – mobile hand set / Mobile service provider / Local Police
Service problem / Mobile service provider / TIO
Scams / ACCC via the ScamWatch website at or 1300 795 995.
Spam / ACMA Spam SMS service 0429 999 888 (standard rates charged by your mobile provider will apply)

How you can support your teen's consumer and financial literacy learning at home

A strong education for your child must includeconsumer and financial literacy. Our teens are growing up in a rapidly changing world which deliberately targets them as consumers from a young age through advertising and marketing campaigns. Mobile phone ownership among teens is high with secondary school a trigger point for many. Young people need to learn from their parents from an early age how to develop discerning skills and behaviours across a range of consumer and financial real world contexts, including how to manage their mobile phone.

One of the simplest ways of encouraging financial wellbeing and an independent and secure future is to encourage teens to learn to plan, save, spend, invest, donate and know the difference between what they really need, and what they want as they grow. Many schools across Australia are now incorporating consumer and financial literacy learning into their curriculum to help make the next generation more financially aware consumers.

There are many activities you can do at home with your teens to help reinforce what and how they are learning. Here are some initial suggestions:

  • Give your teen an allowance and discuss splitting it – some to spend on their mobile credit, outings etc. and some to save or put away to achieve a goal. Depending on their needs, this could be something small to start with like music or clothes, or they may have a long-term goal such as saving for a computer or their first car. A good starting point could be a spending allowance of 50% and 50% set aside in a bank account.
  • Open a bank account with your teen. Encourage them to watch savings grow over time. An online account may be the simplest way to achieve this while demonstrating that money is no longer always visible. They can investigate which financial institutions and accounts pay the most interest and have the lowest fees.
  • Talk about financial goals. What do they want? How much should be saved each week for this target? How long will it take to achieve with a range of savings plans?
  • Discuss what consumer rights your teen has when purchasing goods and services. It is important for all consumers, including parents, to be aware of the protections provided by the consumer guarantee laws and the remedies they may be entitled to if problems arise after the purchase of goods and services.
  • Talk about budgets with your teen. You could explain how much it costs each week to provide food for the family as well as the costs of utilities such as electricity, gas and water. Over time you could use the utilities to actively engage teens in environmental energy saving solutions for the house with the incentive of sharing the dollar savings.
  • Discuss the value of money – what are things worth? Is quality worth paying for? How much does it cost to buy the groceries each week? How much does it cost to run a smart phone and the internet? How much can you buy with $20 in a supermarket?
  • Set good examples – demonstrate to your teen that you’re willing to put aside personal wants in order to meet the needs of the family and others. Talk to them about needs versus wants when spending especially when they are asking for things. Do they really need it or is it something they can live without?
  • What are the many ways that individuals and households receive income? It is good for teens to understand that for adults and households there are many sources of income; however income is a finite resource. Parents and carers may choose to give their teens pocket money which can act as a regular income and learning tool.
  • Consider offering your teen the opportunity to earn more from additional jobs either at home or through paid employment.
  • How is money spent? Does spending from a plastic card mean that budgets can be stretched? Today’s teens don’t often see adults spending cash. You buy your groceries using a debit or credit card and you get cash out with the receipt. You pay your bills and make purchases online. Money is much more easily accessed than it was and is almost invisible. You might want to discuss that you need to pay back borrowed money and how that costs more than saving for what you want.
  • What is marketing and what do they need to be aware of? Talk to younger teens about how things look glossier and bigger and better on television or in catalogues because marketing people work hard to make them look appealing or tempting. Do we really need what we see?
  • Discuss impulse buying and what happens to their budget if they constantly buy things that are too expensive. Is it really as good as it looks? Do they need it? Or is it an image rather than the value of the product that is being bought?
  • Talk about the 'Buy now....pay later....2 years interest free!' offers and how the interest on them accrues if they're not paid in time.
  • Do they really need to buy brand name clothes and accessories just to be 'cool'? Talk about individuality and the cost of conforming to peer pressure. This might also be a good time to have a discussion about cyberbullying.
  • When your teen receives their first mobile phone show them how to check data usage, discuss ways to minimise data use, set boundaries on when and where their mobile is used, and involve them in setting a budget for their mobile.

Further information

For Parents/Carers as teachers:

  • Read the Teacher notes that you can find attached to these activities.
  • Go through the activities with your child at: teaching.moneysmart.gov.au/resource-centre.
  • Visitteaching.moneysmart.gov.au and view expert videos or read more about ASIC’s MoneySmart Teaching initiative.
  • Familiarise yourself with ‘Making Cents’ -an excellent section dedicated to parents at teaching.moneysmart.gov.au/resource-centre/teaching-resources/makingcents.
  • Educate yourself about consumer rights, visit download the ACCC Shopper App for smart phones and tablets which is available for free from iTunes for Apple iOS users, and Google Play for Android users.

For Parents/Carers personal money management:

  • ASIC’s MoneySmart website is a free consumer site that helps you to make the most of your money. It has calculators, tools and tips. For simple guidance you can trust, visit moneysmart.gov.au or call 1300 300 630.

For Parents/Carers mobile phone management:

  • To find out more about mobile phones visit:

Acknowledgements

Australian Competitions and Consumer Commission (ACCC) promotes competition and fair trade in markets to benefit consumers, businesses, and the community. We also regulate national infrastructure services. Our primary responsibility is to ensure that individuals and businesses comply with Australian competition, fair trading, and consumer protection laws - in particular the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.

Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) is the peak industry body representing Australia’s mobile telecommunications industry.AMTA members include mobile Carriage Service Providers (CSPs), handset manufacturers, retail outlets, network equipment suppliers and other suppliers to the industry.

Cybersmart is a national cybersafety and cybersecurity education program managed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) as part of the Australian Government'scommitmentto cybersafety. The program is specifically designed to meet the needs of its target audiences of children, young people, parents, teachers and library staff.

Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) is a free and independent agency that provides assistance to consumers and small businesses who have not been able to resolve a problem with their landline, mobile or internet service provider.

Issue / First point of contact / Still need help?
Cyberbullying / Parents/school / Kids Helpline

1800 55 1800
Mobile handset problem / Mobile service provider / Where the handset is supplied as part of a contract go to Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO)
1800 062 058 or through their website at
Where the handset is bought outright by the consumer go to Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs in the consumer’s state.
Phone plan issue / Mobile service provider / Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO)
Post-paid account billing or pre-paid account issues / Mobile service provider / Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO)
Premium services / Premium service provider / Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO)
Theft – bank account / Banking provider / Mobile service provider
Theft – mobile hand set / Mobile service provider / Local Police
Service problem / Mobile service provider / Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO)
Scams / ACCC via the ScamWatch website at
or 1300 795 995.
Spam / ACMA Spam SMS service 0429 999 888
(standard rates charged by your mobile provider will apply)

Note: State and territory consumer protection agencies can provide you with information and advice about your rights and options.