As children become more independent and more responsible for their own safety, they learn the skills for assessing risk, responding to dangerous situations online, and protecting themselves from a variety of social dangers including bullying, abuse, violence, and other risks associated with technology. Children continue to learn about healthy relationships including how to behave inclusively, responsibly, and respectfully with others online. Children also learn about the factors that contribute to their physical and mental health and the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between engaging in technology and participating in daily activities to enhance their wellness.1
Managing your Digital Footprint To Stay Safe Online
Together (caregiver and child), watch the video Managing your Digital Footprint To Stay Safe Online, and then use the Conversation Starter Questions and Themes to Reinforce the Learning from the discussion guide to facilitate a conversation. The Conversation Starter Questions and Themes to Reinforce the Learning can also be used to start a conversation without watching the video.
Video
Description: A young person is alone in their bedroom on social media, chatting with someone they don’t know. This stranger is sending them messages, trying to flatter them. The young person has been chatting with this stranger online for a while and the stranger now wants to meet in person. The young person tells their friend of their plans. The friend is uneasy and tries to convince them to tell someone and not go alone. The friend eventually persuades them not to go and to talk to an adult about the situation.
Discussion Guide
The discussion guide includes Conversation Starter Questions and Themes to Reinforce the Learning that may be used alone or in combination to promote dialogue about Internet safety with your family.
Sharing Sexually Explicit Images Online
Together (caregiver and child), watch the video Sharing Sexually Explicit Images Online, and then use the Conversation Starter Questions and Themes to Reinforce the Learning from the discussion guide to facilitate a conversation. The Conversation Starter Questions and Themes to Reinforce the Learning can also be used to start a conversation without watching the video.
Video
Description: A person is in their kitchen scrolling through their social media, screen capturing explicit images and sharing them with friends, including their cousin, through social media. The person includes inappropriate comments about some of the people in the images. The person’s cousin receives the explicit images while walking outside with a friend. They discuss the repercussions for all involved, the sender, those who received it, and the people in the images. The cousin decides NOT to forward the images and then deletes them. The cousin and their friend agree to talk to the cousin about appropriate online behaviour.
Discussion Guide
The discussion guide includes Conversation Starter Questions and Themes to Reinforce the Learning that may be used alone or in combination to promote dialogue about Internet safety with your family.
1Excerpted from The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1–8, Health and Physical Education, 2019, p. 155–156