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Digital Safety Resources

Access to the internet is both easier and more necessary today than ever before. While the internet certainly has many benefits, there are also safety risks that may disproportionately threaten children and teenagers that we all should be aware of. In 2022, residents of Corona, Queens proposed the idea to hold workshops for families on digital safety as part of the The People's Money - Citywide Participatory Budgeting. CIANA was selected by the NYC Civic Engagement Commission to implement these workshops.

 

Throughout the Spring of 2024, Our Outreach team educated more than 70 parents at three elementary schools in Corona on common digital safety concerns that they or their children may face, such as adult content, harmful social media trends, stranger danger, and the detrimental impact on cyberbullying, just to name a few.​

 

Using content from Commonsense Media and other great platforms, we instructed parents on how they can work with their children to create rules and plans for using the internet and digital devices, so that folks of all ages understand the importance of digital safety. We're excited to share some of our resources and lessons here with everyone.

Handouts

​Read the handouts we distributed to parents at our school presentations last spring. Click the icons below to download and print.

Family Tech Planners

Use Commonsense Media's Family Tech Planners to map out technology and internet usage rules for all members of your household, from adults to young children. Visit Commonsense Media's website to download the form.

Utilice un Planificador de Tecnologica Familiar para planear el uso de los aparatos tecnologicos en su familiar, desde los ninos hasta los adultos. Visite el sitio web de Commonsense Media para descargar las formas.

Digital Safety Videos

Watch the videos we showed to parents in English and Spanish.

Most Used Internet Abbreviations 💻
How Discord Works in 148,000 Miliseconds or Less
What Is Twitch?
¿Qué es el ciberbullying?
Qué debe hacer si es víctima de ciberacoso | EL TIEMPO
Cómo configurar el control parental en iPhone

More Digital Safety Resources

Lessons, news articles, and stories about the importance of digital safety.

Title
Description
URL
Anti-Cyberbullying Activism
Emily Torchiana of intense online bullying and is now an internet safety and mental health activist.
https://www.emilytorchiana.com/
Gen Alpha Slang
Slang commonly used by kids in Generation Alpha (children born in 2010 or after).
https://hoomale.com/slang-dictionary-decode-gen-alpha-and-gen-z-like-a-pro/
Gen Z & Gen Alpha Slang
Slang commonly used by kids in Gen Z (1997-2010) or Gen Alpha (after 2010)
https://www.nola.com/gambit/news/the_latest/dont-be-cringe-gambits-guide-to-gen-z-and-alpha-slang/article_db0fd6a2-3d5f-11ee-972b-5f43d522a60e.html
Healthy Media Habits
Healthy media habits for very young children beyond screen time
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/Healthy-Digital-Media-Use-Habits-for-Babies-Toddlers-Preschoolers.aspx
Benefits of Fortnite
Popular video game Fortnite may augment children's social literacy
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0022057419864531?journalCode=jexa
Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)
The Dignity for All Students Act legally protects youth from cyberbullying, and holds schools and education professionals accountable
https://www.nysed.gov/student-support-services/dignity-all-students-act-dasa
Cyberbullying
How to help your child (or any child) who has been a victim of cyberbullying
https://cyberbullying.org/what-to-do-when-your-child-is-cyberbullied
Google Family Link
How to install Google Family Link, YouTube Kids, and other parental controls on cellphones and other digital devices
https://families.google/familylink/
Benefits of Minecraft
World-building game Minecraft may have the ability to enhance children's creativity and spatial reasoning skills
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1875952121000240
Internet Slang
Common slang terms and phrased used on the internet
https://usa.kaspersky.com/resource-center/preemptive-safety/internet-slang-words
Benefits of Roblox
8 ways that Roblox may be beneficial for children, such as teaching them coding and programming, and boosting their leadership and team-building skills
https://funtech.co.uk/latest/8-reasons-why-roblox-is-educational-for-kids
Internet Scams
Common internet scams that target children and teenagers
https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/common-scams-targeting-children-teens/
Screen Time
How much screen time is best for kids, based on age group
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/screen-time/art-20047952
Social Media and Mental Health
Impact of social media usage on children and teenagers' mental health
https://genomind.com/patients/the-social-media-dilemma-how-childrens-mental-health-may-be-affected/
Dangers of TikTok
A tragic case of a U.K. child who attempted a viral TikTok challenge
https://foxsanantonio.com/news/nation-world/tiktok-what-is-chroming-challenge-tommie-lee-gracie-bilington-dead-dies-11-year-old-boy-sleepover-cincinnati-tragic-tragedy-danger-dangerous-activities-pressure-social-media-society-impacts-educational-warning-hospital-rush-controversy-controversial
Storing Credit Card Info
A case of why adults should be wary of storing sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, on digital devices used by their children
https://www.wsaz.com/2022/12/21/single-moms-bank-account-drained-after-7-year-old-spends-almost-900-roblox/

Schedule a workshop with CIANA!

CIANA's team is happy to speak about Digital Safety at schools, afterschool programs, places of worship, and anywhere else where families may need additional information on how to stay safe when using the internet or digital devices.

Topics include:

  • Sharing personal information online

  • Social media, apps, and video games

  • Parental controls

  • Interacting with strangers

  • Cyberbullying

  • Healthy online habits

  • More!

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To schedule a workshop with our team or to talk more about Digital Safety, contact us by phone, email, or on our website.

(718) 545-4040

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