This is an article to help kids learn the risks of revealing personal information online.
"Our kids live in a culture of sharing that has forever changed the concept of privacy. In a world where everyone is connected and anything created can get copied, pasted, and sent to thousands of people in a heartbeat, privacy starts to mean something different than simply guarding personal or private information. Each time your child fills out a profile without privacy controls, comments on something, posts a video, or texts a picture of themselves to friends, they potentially reveal themselves to the world.
Why privacy matters
Digital life is very public and often permanent. If our kids don't protect their privacy, what they do online will create digital footprints that wander and persist. Something that happens on the spur of the moment -- a funny picture, a certain post -- can resurface years later. And if kids aren't careful, their reputations can get away from them and third parties -- like marketers or potential employers -- can access what kids thought was private information.
Your kids may think they just sent something to a friend -- but that friend can send it to a friend's friend, who can send it to their friends' friends, and so on. That's how secrets become headlines and how false information spreads fast and furiously. The stakes only rise when we remember that everything takes place in front of huge invisible audiences. Kids' deepest secrets can be shared with thousands of people they've never even met.
New technologies make controlling privacy more challenging. With GPS-enable cell phones and location-sharing programs, kids can post their whereabouts. This information can go out to friends, strangers, and companies who will show them ads targeted to their location.
Advice for parents
Explain that nothing is really private. No matter what kids think. Privacy settings aren't infallible. It's up to kids to protect themselves by thinking t
"At some point, most of us decide that our kids are ready for a phone -- so they can call when they get off the bus, need a ride, or just check in. That's when you discover that it's nearly impossible to find a phone with only the features you need -- namely, the ability to receive and make phone calls"
This FREE, pioneering curriculum is designed to empower students to think critically and make informed choices about how they create, communicate, and treat others in our ever-evolving, 24/7 digital world. Browse the units to find the topics and lessons that are just right for your students.
Establishing Internet safety rules early sets your kids up for life. Get the basics. Staying Safe and Smart Online Advice & Answers Keep your kids safe online When your kids start to interact on the Internet -- playing games, watching YouTube videos, socializing in virtual worlds, getting homework help, and searching on Google -- you may feel that you're losing control over your kids' world.
Excellent resources and developments at this site. A free digital citizenship curriculum is being rolled out. And Common Sense have bought Cybersmart recently! Watch this space!