Pause and Think Online
Digital Citizenship
Counseling Corner Newsroom, November, 2021
What is Digital Citizenship?
Digital Citizenship is a concept which helps parents, teachers, and technology leaders to understand what students should know to use technology appropriately. Digital Citizenship is more than just a teaching tool; it is a way to prepare students/technology users for a society full of technology. Digital citizenship is the norms of appropriate and responsible technology use.
Information Privacy
The Internet is a fun place, but it can also be dangerous. Spammers, hackers, and identity thieves lurk in the corners of the World Wide Web, waiting to grab unsuspecting users’ personal information. On BrainPOP, there is a movie for Grades 2-5 that you can watch with your child that will show them how to keep yourself safe by keeping your personal information private!
Your child will learn how to recognize and avoid the most common scams used by digital “nogoodniks”. They will also find out why it’s important to read a site’s privacy policy before entering with anyone they do not know in real life. Finally, they will discover why it’s never a good idea to post information that they would not want their parents or teachers to see.
Why is Internet Privacy so important?
The Internet is filled with fun and educational content, but it’s also filled with dishonest people trying to make money any way they can. Sometimes, they hide viruses and other harmful programs inside important-looking emails and fun-looking downloadable software. Once your computer is infected, details of your Internet use might be tracked and sent to advertisers.
What can we do to protect our children’s privacy online?
Before entering any personal information on the Web, children should always ask you first if it’s okay; please read the site’s privacy policy to make sure it will not share your info with advertisers and other third parties. Children should never post anything that they would not want their parents or teachers to see! The Internet is a public place, and posting private material could lead to serious embarrassment or worse. One way you can help your child to determine if a website is secure is that the URL starts with HTTPS. HTTPS means HTTP Secure, and it uses cryptography to hide any information you send over the web through that site, so it cannot be stolen.
Parents’ Pledge for Digital Citizenship
http://digitalcitizenship.org/
I will get to know the services and Web sites my child uses. If I do not know how to use them, I will take the time to learn how.
I promise to teach my child when and how to use digital communication methods. I understand that technology may not always be the best way to interact with others.
I will help everyone in our family to understand that our technology usage affects others. I will help my child understand that they need to treat others the way they want to be treated (The Golden Rule!).
I will make sure that my children have limits on the time they can use technology so as not to suffer from adverse effects.