Digital Citizenship Lesson Plan This course is to help people to understand how to use the Internet in a safe, productive way. Additional resources and links are available on the TechTECS website. http://techtecs.com/digital-citizenship OBJECTIVES: To help participants identify risky behavior when going online To teach methods to reduce risk when online To explore resources that cover the topics of identity theft, cyber bullying and other threats To engage in coversation that helps to raise awareness of the risks Lesson Plan The topic of Digital Citizenship is an important one, but may not be one that your participants choose when deciding which workshops to attend. It is that reason that we have created the Internet Safety Tips handouts that you can use at your trainings. Each topic should be delivered in 10-15 minutes at either the beginning or end of your training. That way we are still delivering these important messages without dedicating an entire session to the topic. For each topic there is a 1-page handout with facts and information, as well as links to resources on the TechTECS website. There are also infographics on the website that you can review with the group if there is time. These topics can generate lots of good conversation, so if you have an engaged group it may be good to go over the Tips sheet at the end of the training so that it doesn t take up too much training time. Internet Safety Tips Topics Identity Theft Protecting Future Reputations Password Tips and Tricks CyberBullying A Parents Guide to Mobile Device Security CyberPredators
Identity Theft Identity theft has been a problem for many years, but with the influx of online shopping, mobile devices, social media and the amount of information available online, the ID theft problem keeps multiplying. ID theft doesn t always mean financial exposure, it could also impact your reputation if someone is pretending to be you on social media sites, or when using your mobile device. It is important for you to understand the risks and to inform your loved ones as well. To learn more about identity theft, explore resources and access quizzes to see if you are at risk for identity theft, visit: TechTECS.com/digital-citizenship Who is most at risk for identity theft? Children Are being targeted 35 times more often than adults. People with social media profiles Due to the personal information they put on their profiles. Smartphone Owners 7% of smartphone owners were victims of ID fraud. This is 1/3 higher incident rate compared to the general public. Deceased people Nearly 3 million of stolen identities are that of deceased people College students More often college students have good credit scores, making them an ideal target. Victims of data breaches Are 9.5 times more likely to be a victim of ID fraud. Higher income individuals Those with higher incomes are more likely to be victimized Did you know? In the US more than 11.6 million adults became victims of identity theft. 62% of smartphone owners do not use a password on their home screen 32% of smartphone owners save log-in information on their device. Every three seconds someone s identity is stolen. Victims who found out about their identity theft more than six months after it happened incurred costs four times higher than the average 58 hours is the average amount of time victims spent repairing the damage done to existing accounts 43% of identity theft occurrs from stolen wallets, check-books, credit cards, billing statements, or other physical documents Facts and Statistics from www.protectyourbubble.com
Protecting Future Reputations Social media, can be a good, positive tool if used responsibly. It is those that choose to put reputation damaging photos and comments on their feed or profile pages that need to think about how that will affect their futures. Colleges, scholarship readers, employers, coaches, teachers and family members access the Internet to gather information on people they are interested in. How you portray yourself online today will follow you into the future. To learn more about protecting your online reputation and explore resources visit: TechTECS.com/digital-citizenship How do you protect your digital self? Join social media sites- This may seem counter productive, but by having a clean profile, you show you can be a responsible user of the technology. No profile at all may raise flags that you had to delete it all. Think before you post! - If you wouldn t say it at a Thanksgiving table or during a staff meeting at work, then don t say it online. Use the 80/20 Rule - If you have a professional Facebook page or Twitter feed, keep the content 80% professional and 20% personal. The 20% personal can help people get to know you better, just be sure to not get TOO personal! Google Yourself - It really doesn t matter which search engine you use, just be sure to search for yourself, your children and your company to see what others see when looking you up online. In 2010, 57% of adult internet users now use search engines to find information about themselves online, up from 47% in 2006. In 2010, 46% of online adults have created their own profile on a social networking site, up from just 20% in 2006. In 2010, 46% of internet users search online to find information about people from their past, up from 36% in 2006. Likewise, 38% have sought information about their friends, up from 26% in 2006. Facts and Statistics from www.pewinternet.org/reports/2010/reputation-management
Password Tips and Tricks For the most part, your data is only as secure as you are. If you aren t using a secure password, then you are opening yourself up to identity theft, fraud and financial loss. Creating and maintaining a unique, secure password for all of your web based sites may seem like a daunting task, but a few tips and tricks may help you to keep your information safe. To learn more password tips and tricks and explore resources visit: TechTECS.com/digital-citizenship How do you create a good password? Use a variety of character types- Use upper and lower case letters, numbers & symbols when creating a strong password. Don t use words found in the dictionary - You may think you have a clever password, however, if the word can be found in the dictionary, or in the dictionary written backwards, then the password can be easily hacked. Don t use numbers or names that identify you - Your pets or kids names, your birthday or your phone number are all examples of poorly chosen passwords that can be easily guessed. Don t write them down and place in an obvious location- A sticky note on your monitor or under your keyboard is not a good place to put passwords. If you must write them down, put them in a secure spot, such as in a safe. Create a password scheme you will stick to- Choose a scheme that you will remember, such as using 3 for E or $ for S ($pagh3tti) Use a phrase or lyrics instead of a word- Using this method you could use the entire phrase, or just the first letter of each word. For example, ilov3th3gr33nbaypack3rs or iltgbp. A computer loaded with the latest virtualization software and high powered graphics cards can now crack an eight-character password in 5 1/2 hours. The average internet user has 25 online accounts, 6.5 passwords and waits an average of 3.1 months before changing passwords. 66% of people online utilize only 1 or 2 passwords for all of their accounts. Facts and Statistics from http://www.halock.com/blog/passwords-fascinating-facts/
Cyberbullying Cyber bullying is defined as a young person tormenting, threatening, harassing, or embarrassing another young person using the Internet or other technologies, like cell phones. At first thought, it may seem like less of an issue if the bully is hiding behind a screen, however, studies have shown this type of bullying can be just as dangerous, if not more, as the face-to-face kind. To learn more about cyber-bullying and explore resources visit: TechTECS.com/digital-citizenship/ How do you identify and stop cyberbullying? Talk to your kids- Have a conversation about bullying, sometime kids may think they are just teasing, and not realize the impact they may be having on another child. Keep a record- There are antibullying laws in many states. If your child is being bullied and the bully won t back down, the transcripts of the comments can help if law enforcement gets involved. Nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online. 1 in 4 has had it happen more than once. 70% of students report seeing frequent bullying online. 81% of young people think bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person. 53% of kids admit having said something mean or hurtful to another person online. More than 1 in 3 have done it more than once. Over 80% of teens use a cell phone regularly, making it the most common medium for cyberbullying. Over 25% of teens have been bullied repeatedly through text messages. 68% of teens agree that cyber bullying is a serious problem. Girls are about twice as likely as boys to be victims and perpetrators of cyber bullying. Only 1 in 10 victims will inform a parent or trusted adult of their abuse. 1 in 6 parents know their child has been bullied online. Cyberbullying victims are 2 to 9 times more likely to consider committing suicide. Facts and Statistics from http://blog.sgrouples.com/cyber-bullying-facts/
Taking Back Control: A Parents Guide to Managing Technology at Home Generally speaking, kids today know more about technology than their parents do. Even though the kids may know more about the technology, it doesn t mean parents should remain in the dark when it comes to the latest devices. Parents are still the ones in charge and they should remain that way by setting some rules and guidelines for their kids to follow. To learn more about managing devices and exploring resources, visit: TechTECS.com/digital-citizenship/ How do you manage your kids and their devices? Set some ground rules- Many kids are given a laptop, ipad or cellphone by those who love them and no ground rules are set. Remember, these devices access the world and there should be some rules in place to keep your kids safe. Limit Online Access- Nothing good happens after midnight, so there is no reason for kids to be online that late at night. You can set your wireless router to deactivate at certain hours, such as from 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM. If they have smartphones with data plans, have them turn them in at a certain time to be charged for the night. Plus, your kids need their sleep! Know what devices go online- Many video gaming units have internet access. Friend your kids on social media- If everyone else who are friends with your child knows what they are up to, you should too. It isn t an invasion of privacy. They are minors and your responsibility; your house, your rules. 93% of teens ages 12-17 go online 69% of teens have their own computer 24% of teens with a game console use it to go online 73% of teens are on a social network 37% send messages to friends every day As many as 7.5 million Facebook users in the U.S. are under age 13 -- a violation of Facebook s user policies A 2010 Pew Internet Project survey found that 75% of those ages 12-17 have cell phones, up from 45% in 2004. Facts and Statistics from http://www.webwisekids.org/programs-facts-statistics-beseen.html
CyberPredators We all remember when 20/20: To Catch a Predator aired on TV. People were shocked to see the predators that were trying to meet and take advantage of young kids. What was even more disturbing when the facts came out was that many of these people were from respectable professions, such as doctors and teachers. So how can we keep our kids safe from those who look for prey online? Here are some tips that may help you. To learn more about cyberpredators and to explore resources, visit: TechTECS.com/digital-citizenship/ How do you keep your kids safe from predators? Make sure your child s online friends are friends they know in person- If they wouldn t walk up and say hi to that person on the street, then they shouldn t be friends with them on Facebook or other social media sites. Talk about what information is private- Kids need to know what information to share online and what not to share. Report inappropriate behavior- Many sites allow you to report abusers and they will ban them from sites. Let your kids know it is ok to tell a trusted adult if someone makes them feel uncomfortable. Follow the rules- Social media sites such as Facebook have a minimum age. Make sure you are enforcing these rules as a parent. One in five U.S. teenagers who regularly log on to the Internet says they have received an unwanted sexual solicitation via the Web. (only 25% of those told a parent!) About 30% of the victims of Internet sexual exploitation are boys. Internet sexual predators tend to fall between the ages of 18 and 55, although some are older or younger. Their targets tend to be between the ages of 11 and 15 In 100% of the cases, teens that are the victims of sexual predators have gone willingly to meet with them. Teens are willing to meet with strangers: 16% of teens considered meeting someone they ve only talked to online and 8% have actually met someone they only knew online. 75% of children are willing to share personal information online about themselves and their family in exchange for goods and services. Statistics from http://puresight.com/pedophiles/online-predators/online-predators-statistics.html