Grade seven, eight and nine students with the Prince George School District heard from an expert on social media and the internet during a pair of packed sessions at Vanier Hall today.
Jesse Miller with Mediated Reality, held students attention for almost 90 minutes with an engaging presentation on how to safely grow up on the internet.
He says for students in the middle school ages, who are just starting to hit their stride online, he tries to move beyond ‘stranger danger’
“The big theme within today’s entire dialogue is really reflective.”
“It’s understanding the value of what you are sharing, trying to get kids to be a bit more cognisant of the fact that they are telling the world their story as much as it may seem insular and just to their group of peers in the community – and that the potential for a dialogue to go further that the boundaries of your city is here.”
He points out that many adults don’t seem to have a grasp of that concept themselves.
“We see eleven year olds who are on social media that do great things… and then we see grown adults who are systematically making mistakes based on releasing private information or an opinion that impacts work and family life.”
Because of that, Miller says setting an age limit when a child can access social media can be a bit arbitrary.
He says parents can start by setting an example; not texting and driving, and avoiding the phone at the dinner table. “Set the tone” he said
Miller also held a talk exclusively for parents later in the evening at Duchess Park.
#SD57 students hearing about social media awareness and the internet from expert Jesse Miller w/ https://t.co/NDpeIMPw9V #cityofpg pic.twitter.com/nDs5kB99k8
— Colin Dacre (@ccdacre) October 20, 2016