Internet Safety & Digital CitizenshipAwareness and Education

Larry MagidCo-director, ConnectSafely.org

Founder, Safekids.comCBS News/CNET

Lynette OwensDirector, Corporate Outreach

Trend Micro Internet Safety for Kids & Families Program

Agenda

• Internet safety and Digital Citizenship• Trends and Implications• Recommendations

Internet safety vs. Digital citizenship

• Internet safety/Media literacy:

help kids understand online risks and how to respond

• Digital citizenship: teaches kids to act responsibly around other kids; eliminates biggest threats of being harmed by other kids or themselves

• Predation• Viewing inappropriate content• Posting inappropriate content • Cyberbullying & harassment • Online addiction • Online contributing to destructive, illegal, unethical or

inappropriate behavior• Device security & social engineering tactics

What parents tend to worry about

• Physical safety – freedom from physical harm

• Psychological safety – freedom from cruelty, harassment, and exposure to potentially disturbing material

• Reputational and legal safety – freedom from unwanted social, academic, professional, and legal consequences that could affect you for a lifetime

• Identity, property, and community safety – freedom from theft of identity & property

Types of Internet safety

How the Internet changes the equation...

• Persistence & searchability: Net as permanent searchable archive

• Replicability: ability to copy and paste from anywhere, to anywhere

• Scalability: high potential visibility

• Invisible audiences: you never know who’s watching

• Blurring of public and private: boundaries not clearAND WE ADD IN:

• Disinhibition: Lack of visual cues reduces empathy

Source: danah boyd: Taken out of Context, 2008

The Net Effect

Trends and Implications

Sexting and cyberbullying on the rise

Bullying declining

Child identity theft on the rise

Cybercriminals increasingly active on social web

• Children & teens frequently victims of identity theft• Youth need to be aware of social networking scams• Teach youth to protect their passwords• Youth implicated in hack attacks• Teach security by teaching critical thinking• Ensure schools and parents use available technologies

Security and Youth

Levels of Internet safety

Tertiary

• More training in "norms theory.”

• Use of "whole school" approach to bullying and other behavioral issues.

• Acceptable use policies that are up-to-date, reflective of today’s technology and uses of it.

• Regular, updated training of staff, students.

• Collaboration with PTO/PTA and families of students.

Some Recommendations

Some Resources

ConnectSafley.orgNetFamilyNews.orgSafeKids.com & SafeTeens.comTrend Micro Internet SafetyCommon Sense Media EducatorsInternet Safety Technology Task Force ReportDirectory of Internet safety sites & resourcesDirectory of Internet safety curriculaInternet safety by age levels

Thank you!

-Nielsen Netview, October 2009

Young People and the InternetTop Web properties visited by U.S. youth ages 2-17

Top 10:Ages 10-17

Top 10:Ages 2-9