Author
Joseph P. Depa III
Today’s kids are so connected and it is truly amazing. Being connected is part of their everyday lives.
For example, tablets are quickly replacing text books in schools. My daughters are doing things with tablets that I couldn’t have dreamt of when I was in school. That also means they are on the Internet a lot. They have school-issued tablets with safeguards in place, so there is protection; however, I want them to be smart when using family devices at home.
CLICK TO TWEET: Why is Safer Internet Day so important? Learn to be smart online by reading this blog from CommScope's Joe Depa.
I want to monitor everything they are doing online, but with all the opportunities for misfortune, there are times that I don’t. It’s not an excuse, it’s just reality. Let’s face it, there are some strange things online and there are people out there that want to use the internet for harm.
There are organizations out there that want to help. Safer Internet Day is celebrated on Tuesday, Feb 5, 2019, and it has become a landmark event in the online safety calendar. Starting as an initiative of the European Union SafeBorders project in 2004, Safer Internet Day has grown beyond its traditional geographic zone and is now celebrated in approximately 140 countries worldwide.From cyberbullying to social networking, each year Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and chooses a topic reflecting current concerns.
This year the campaign’s slogan, “Together for a better internet,” is a call to action for all stakeholders to join and play their part in creating a better internet for everyone, and especially for younger users. I encourage you to visit their website and learn what your country is doing to support this effort.
Take the time to learn what you can do to protect yourself and your family. Connectivity is now a part of our everyday lives, but that doesn’t mean we should live in fear. Learn to be smart online.
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