How Parents Can Participate in Safer Internet Day
Do you know what would be great? If only Safer Internet Day was held every day. When it comes to the Internet, parents have a lot to fear: online predators, cyberbullying, the spread of incredibly vivid and violent pornography, and so on. But total avoidance is not an option if we want to teach our children how to navigate the Internet safely and wisely. So, we created a holiday to help us with this, and this holiday is today.
Safer Internet Day kicked off in Europe in 2004 as a campaign to raise awareness of Internet safety and, according to its website, is now celebrated in over 100 countries. It is hosted in the United States by ConnectSafely , a non-profit organization that ” educates users of connected technologies for security, privacy and security.” Here’s a little more about the holiday :
Safer Internet Day aims to create both a safer and a better Internet where everyone can use technology responsibly, respectfully, critically, and creatively. The campaign aims to reach children and youth, parents and guardians, teachers, educators and social workers, as well as industry, decision-makers and politicians, to encourage everyone to play their part in creating a better Internet.
Participate in person
PTA and YMCA nationwide have pledged to host events today or in the coming weeks and months in support of Safer Internet Day. The Google Be Internet Awesome program partners with key organizations including National PTA, ConnectSafely, Scholastic, and the YMCA to offer workshops and training for families.
You can search for available seminars with the YMCA and view the full list of participating PTAs .
Participate online
If you are unable to attend a personal event (or is not in your area), you can still tune in to the ConnectSafely live stream today, starting at 10am PT. The live stream will include meetings with leaders from Roblox, TikTok, Google, Instagram / Facebook, and the National Public Relations Agency.
In particular, one panel session entitled “Maximizing Impact: How Stakeholders Can Contribute to Building a Courtesy and Safety Environment” seemed particularly interesting to parents. It aims to “bring together students and experts from the technology industry, education, government and the nonprofit sector to address some of the toughest questions today about technology, social media, and living in a connected world.”
This session starts at 1:15 pm PT; join by clicking here .
Talk to your kids about it.
At least a day dedicated to Internet safety is the perfect excuse to talk to your kids about this topic. ConnectSafely recommends that you approach the topic of digital security and courtesy, but avoid any tone that makes them feel like you are interrogating or lecturing them.
If you are unsure where to start when talking to older children, the organization offers parents several possible ways to talk:
- During the search, a pop-up ad appears – you click on the ad – it takes you away from the original search. What are you doing?
- Your child is using the app and receives a message from a stranger. What are you doing?
- You post a photo of a friend or classmate and they ask you to take it. What are you doing?
- You have a friend at home and that friend asks for your family iPad / laptop password / password. What are you doing?
Remember that your kids may know more about online privacy and safety than you think, because they are more likely to learn some of these lessons in school.
When you talk about these topics, if they share any negative experiences with you, be sure to control your reaction. You want them to feel like they can keep talking to you about it in the future without worrying about overreacting.