When I was in my younger-middle years days, the use of the internet slowly started to pick up as I went along. I was fortunate enough to have great educators along the way who allocated lots of time to ensure we were aware of the complexities of the world wide web and the potential risks associated with it.
I attended a school that excelled in teaching students the importance of safeguarding personal information, recognizing online threats, and navigating the digital world responsibly. While the school’s approach was not based on scare tactics, it was still discussed. But the approach was rather focused on educating us about proper internet use and encouraging responsible digital citizenship. This experience provided me with the knowledge and skills needed to stay safe in the online environment while fostering an appreciation for the benefits and responsibilities that come with the digital age.
Looking back, I am super grateful to have grown up in a era where the internet was popular enough for teachers to put lots of emphasis on how to be safe while using it. It probably saved me a lot of grief because what they say is true, if you post it, it can sometimes be out there forever, whether you want it to be or not.
The Government of Canada has a great site for learning about keeping kids safer online, one that I found while doing a lesson on internet awareness and safety.
I’m very jealous of your experience! If I had more of a proactive and positive experience around cyber safety and digital citizenship, I would be much more confident in using social media. While I consume a fair amount of social media, I don’t often participate, as it doesn’t seem worth the risk.
I think you make a great point, a goal of mine is to definitely give students a positive experience in teachings when it comes to cyber safety so that they can be confident in using social media.
I’m glad your experience at school was a positive one! Definitely more rare for our generation.