Going to a school of only 150 students, K-12, “cyber safety” and digital citizenship were not known topics. I have no recollection of ever learning online safety in elementary school. I am almost positive it was not discussed at this time as I was receiving mean comments online and did not know it was considered to be cyberbullying. I do not remember learning about it in high school either. However, I remember discussing the implications of taking and sharing nudes in my grade 8 or 9 Sexual Education Unit. The majority of what I learned about online presentation and safety came from my parents and my own experiences online. 

When we discussed the distribution and taking of nudes in grade 8 or 9, scare tactics were used. I remember watching Amanda Todd’s video on YouTube and discussing everything that occurred leading up to her death. The main focus was on nudity, which my teacher drilled into us that, even if it was a photo of ourselves, we would be distributing child pornography. She also explained how, if we were ever caught distributing nudes of others, there would be fines or criminal charges. I can remember talking about bullying a little bit as well, but it was not as in-depth.

I found the scare tactic on this topic to be a little beneficial for me. Our teacher provided us with a lot of information about the consequences of sharing and taking nude photos. These consequences terrified me, resulting in never participating in it. However, for some of my other classmates, this tactic did not do anything. Many people felt it was a joke and thought they were invincible to these consequences. Unfortunately, this resulted in a few girls private pictures being shared amongst the boys. It also resulted in some of the girls being horrible to the ones who’s photos were shared. 

I believe educating people on the proper use of technology would be the most helpful. When scare tactics are used, there is no explanation for why something may be bad or the consequences that can occur. By educating people, it provides the opportunity to explain these issues and provide ways to protect themselves. It also allows for conversations about how the internet can be used positively rather than just negatively. Overall, by explaining these concepts, it allows for more conversations and a better understanding of the online world.