A quick 1 minute lesson on digital safety: how do I know what is safe to say online?
One of my go-to ways of framing questions around online conduct is to take the “online” out of it. If I want my child to speak safely and kindly online, one way to teach that is to make Sure they know what safe and kind speech sounds like in real-life contexts; if my child trash talks when they play Madden online, they might trash talk when they play football after school.
But one thing kids, students, (and many adults) today struggle with is knowing the difference between “private” and “public” spaces and the way that should impact how we speak or what we share.
Although we may understand this in principle, it’s easy to forget just how “public” niche, or even seemingly private online spaces can be. Innocuous comments may be safe in a vacuum, but may not be safe if they are visible to the larger public online.
When watching this video with or without your child, think about what “private” information might mean for your family. It might include addresses, phone numbers, names of family members, the city you live in, the school they attend, their teacher’s name, etc. Some of this information might be safe to share in in-person private or public spaces, but not so in online spaces since the information doesn’t disappear.
Having these conversations early and often gives our kids the skills they need to be safe online while also helping them understand the risks and vulnerabilities that the internet has, so they can navigate it safely as they grow up.
