Sometimes we love the Internet…sometimes we hate it. Regardless of our feelings, all of us need to be having multiple talks with our girls about Internet safety. Luckily many resources exist, including Google’s “Be Internet Awesome” curriculum. Its purpose is to help families develop online healthy habits through five key areas:
- Smart: Share With Care
- Alert: Don’t Fall for Fake
- Strong: Secure Your Secrets
- Kind: It’s Cool to Be Kind
- Brave: When in Doubt, Talk it Out
Below are several pieces of “Be Internet Awesome” and other resources to aid you with raising well-informed and empowered Internet users.
Google’s Family Guide and Tips
Packed with valuable stuff, the Family Guide and Tips (using the five areas mentioned above) encourages family discussion, learning, and thinking about maneuvering the online world together.
Google’s Wellbeing Family Guide
Maintaining a balanced screen life can be hard. Past generations simply switched off their televisions. Today, disconnecting means parents and children are prioritizing the quality of time they spend together. The Digital Wellbeing Family Guide sparks dialogue about screens and what it means to balance online time with the physical world.
LifeKit Podcasts Internet and Screens
Recently NPR produced a series of LifeKit podcasts about kids and screen time. Doctors and experts share science-backed advice with host Anya Kamenetz in these three excellent episodes:
- Can Screens Help Your Child’s Brain? 4 Tips To Get The Most From Kids’ Media
- 5 Strategies For Coping With Screen-Obsessed Kids
- Parents, Check Your Own Screen Habits
More Resources Internet Safety
It’s no secret parenting in the Internet era can be exhausting. But with the right tools, we can lay a strong foundation so our kids will grow online safely and successfully.
Written by Erin Prather Stafford
Top photo by Steinar Engeland on Unsplash
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