The document discusses how kids today spend much more time engaged with digital media and outlines both the possibilities and perils of this increased media usage. It provides tips for parents on how to help kids be safe, smart, and responsible users and creators of digital media by embracing their digital world, setting rules, teaching internet safety, addressing issues like cyberbullying and commercialism, and utilizing resources like Common Sense Media.

1. Digital Primary School Kids:
Safe, Smart, and Responsible

2. Who is the digital native?
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3. Kids today are consuming and
creating a lot of media
Media - 1960
15 Hours a Week
Media Today
45 Hours a Week
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4. Media today is mobile and user generated
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5. Media is about entertainment, education, and
socializing
• 96% of online
tweens and teens
have used social
networking
technologies like
setting up profiles,
blogging, or
chatting.
• In 2007, 24% of
U.S. children and
teens visited virtual
worlds like Webkinz
and Club Penguin.
By 2011, an
estimated 53% will
do so.
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6. Digital Media: The Possibilities
• Fun and entertaining
• Express themselves and be creative
• Explore their identity
• Keep in touch with friends and family
• Social support/instant community
• Educational
o Digital citizenship
o Learn about different cultures and ideas
o Connect to and collaborate with others
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7. Digital Media: The Perils
• Addiction
• Inappropriate content
• Cyberbullying
• Commercialism
• Strangers/Predators
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8. Addiction
Warning signs for computer
addiction include: missing meals,
losing sleep, dropping activities,
skipping showers, and missing
homework assignments or school.
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9. Inappropriate Content
More than 40% of
tweens and teens
have come across
nudity and
pornography on the
Internet.
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10. Cyberbullying
30-40% of kids
admit to being
cyberbullied, but
most kids don’t
report their
victimization.
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11. Commercialism
Advertisers will spend $150 million in virtual
worlds by 2012, 10 times what was spent in 2006
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12. What can you do to help
your kids be safe, smart,
and responsible media
users and creators?
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13. Media Tips: The Basics
• Embrace their world and keep the lines of
communication open
• Encourage balanced use
• Keep media out of kids’ bedrooms
• Have some rules about the kinds of sites
they can visit and what they can download
• Research and review parental controls
and privacy settings
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14. Teach Internet Safety
• Don’t share personal information like name, school, age, or address
• Never send pictures to strangers
• Keep passwords private (except for parents)
• Don’t open any mail or content from strangers
• If something mean or creepy happens, get a grown-up immediately
• Explain that whatever they put on the Internet is permanent and can be
passed along by others to others
• Determine together who they can “friend” and chat with
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15. Cyberbullying… on the receiving end
• Don't assume your kids
will talk to you about being
bullied
• Don't respond
• Sign off and block the bully CYBERBULLYING
• Change contact information
• Save all bullying messages
• Report bullying to school and
company that hosts the site (if a
false profile)
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16. Cyberbullying…on the delivering end
• Talk with your child about why it’s important to
treat others with respect. If they wouldn’t say
something to someone’s face, they shouldn’t say it
through media.
• Ask your child how they would feel if they were
the victim of a cyberbully. Discuss the importance of
treating others the way you want to be treated.
• Explain what could happen (e.g. suspension, expulsion,
arrest or a lawsuit) if s/he is caught cyberbullying.
• Establish rules and consequences.
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17. Commercialism
• Point out all the ways that
marketers target them:
- Surveys/Quizzes
- Advergames
- Pop-ups
- Product Placement
• Use the coins (in games and
virtual worlds) to teach the
value of money
• Talk about how spending is
encouraged
• Tell your kids never to click on
an ad or fill out a form without
your permission
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18. Common Sense Media
• Easy-to-use, detailed
information on media
titles
• Can sort by age, media
type, release date
• Recommended lists
by age and stage
• News and research
• Parenting tips and tools
• Weekly newsletter
www.commonsensemedia.org
www.commonsensemedia.org 18

19. Improve the media landscape….
one decision,
one family,
one community
at a time.
primaryschool.qataracademy.wikispaces.net
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