The next time you are out in public, take a look around. On the light rail, in the doctor’s waiting room, inside restaurants, in the check-out line ... everywhere people are looking down at the their devices to access text messages, websites, music, maps. Even toddlers know how to pull up online games or songs to entertain themselves. We are saturated by all that technology offers us. 

 

And while there is so much that is positive about these tools, from connecting with friends and family to the instant availability of information, it is important that kids are taught how to protect themselves from some of the potential dangers when online. 

 

For this reason, the Middle School wellness curriculum begins each year with a digital life unit covering safety, security and citizenship. The goal is to “empower students to make safe, smart, and ethical decisions online” using curriculum from Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology.

 

As the curriculum builds upon lessons from previous years, students are armed with tools, skills and resources to avoid potential online pitfalls, and they learn how to handle difficulties should they occur. We spend time discussing how to handle mean or scary messages through blocking, reporting and seeking assistance from trusted adults. Likewise, they can use these same tools to act as upstanders to friends who may be experiencing cyberbullying or any unkindness in the digital world. 

 

It’s now common practices for secondary schools, colleges, universities and employers to access online profiles as they evaluate candidates so we also focus on the concept of the digital footprint. Students learn to monitor their online profiles to ensure the content reflects their individual values and character. 

 

Because opportunities for online connections are continually changing -- think of multiplayer role-playing games, for example -- it is important to hold conversations around digital citizenship both in and out of the classroom. I recommend commonsensemedia.org for great advice and resources that will help you build a relationship of trust with your children. Kids will make mistakes and as adults we can guide them through the sometimes challenging and murky waters of the digital world.