It’s Digital Citizenship Week (October 19-25), a time dedicated to engaging and educating students, teachers, and parents on the importance of being smart and responsible users of digital tools.
This is an important topic for everyone who uses the internet, but it is especially crucial for parents and young people. There are some sobering realities about kids on the internet that parents and teens must be aware of. We often hear about online bullying in the news, and for good reason. But it’s just one thing parents need to be aware of when it comes to their kids’ online life.
A series of infographics from Microsoft reveal a number of eye-opening statistics including:
- 49% of teens have received or viewed hateful comments from others
- 38% of college admissions officers have found something online that had a negative impact on their evaluation of a prospective student
- 70% of U.S. job recruiters have rejected candidates based on their online reputation
These are the realities of the online world we live in, and it’s crucial that parents and kids understand that their online activity can have real, lasting, and sometimes even legal repercussions. In an age when nothing online ever really goes away, having a clean “digital footprint” is more important than ever.
Below, you’ll find some valuable resources on Internet safety and media use, tools for monitoring kids’ online activity, and tips for teaching kids to protect themselves. We hope that these tools help spark conversation between parents, teachers, and kids and provide families with the resources they need to raise responsible digital citizens.
On Establishing Healthy Media Habits
- Tech CEOs and Experts Agree on Healthy Technology Habits for Kids
- How Much Screentime is Too Much for Kids?
- Why Digital Literacy is So Important
On Keeping Kids Safe Online
Parents’ Guides to Social Media
Other Digital Citizenship Resources
- Pinterest: Digital Citizenship
- Common Sense Media: Digital Citizenship
- Edutopia: Digital Citizenship: Resource Roundup
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