My Cyber Safety Experience
Growing up I remember constantly being taught to be aware of my digital footprint, paying attention to what I am doing online and if I am being safe. I think the main tactic used with people my age in school, from teachers and parents, was a scare tactic. We were constantly told that negative and dangerous aspects of technology and that there were so many ways it could harm us. My main takeaway was always that technology is scary and the internet is dangerous. I wasn’t taught how to protect myself other than to avoid it and be hyper-careful with what I was doing. The sentence of ‘things on the internet are permanent’ was always told to us and we learned to fear that idea and be cautious about what I was doing online, who I was talking to, what I was reading, and where I was posting. I was so nervous that something I posted would get into the wrong hands, or someone would twist my words and images the wrong way.
Image from https://rems.ed.gov/cybersafety
It was only recently that I feel less scared and realize that although the internet is a scary place we just have to be careful to an extent. Even now as a young adult, I do not post many pictures on Instagram or Facebook, I am cautious with what I send on Snapchat and I understand that if I do something stupid on camera it has the chance of always being on the internet even if I am not the one to put it there. We all make mistakes but in this day and age, these mistakes can have huge impacts on our lives and change how we live.
As an adult and future educator, I am not saying this is the best way to teach cyber safety, but it also isn’t the worst. I think that kids, teenagers, and adults should be a little bit scared of the internet and the dangers of being online. However, if you are responsible and aware of these dangers I believe it is easy to be safe and use the technology as the wonderful tool it can be. We have to find ways to ensure students understand the dangers but are taught how to stay safe and ways they can protect themselves, or who they can go to for help if they ever need it. We live in a world of technology and it is almost impossible to just tell students to stay away from it. There are videos about safety tips that are a great way to educate students and help them to be safe online. Here is a great option to teach students online safety in a quick and easy-to-understand way.
Your reflection on the use of scare tactics in teaching cyber safety is very relatable. It’s clear that this approach left many of us cautious, but perhaps overly fearful, of the digital world. Your shift towards a balanced perspective as an adult understanding the risks while also recognizing the benefits of responsible internet use is insightful. As future educators, we indeed need to focus on teaching students practical ways to protect themselves online, rather than just instilling fear. By doing so, we can help them navigate the digital landscape confidently and safely.
Hi Stella I am happy you shared with us your cyber safety experience! Very relatable. Your reflections and plans for teaching digital safety highlight the importance of a balanced, educational approach that empowers students to navigate the digital world responsibly. By integrating these strategies into your classroom, you can help students develop a healthy and informed relationship with technology. This is very similar to my reflection/blog post on this topic.
Thanks for reading my blog Brayden! I think so many people have had the same experience and I hope we can all move towards having healthy relationships with technology as you said!