This is Digital Citizenship Week! I thought I’d go off the board a little bit to invite everyone to celebrate Digital Citizen Week by talking to a kid about what it means to be a good and safe citizen online.

Many years ago I was the computer teacher at a small grade school – grades K-8. I can tell you that kids take to technology – but they aren’t born knowing it. They need guidance. I now have my own kids who think they can use technology – and one is the queen of Instagram but when I asked her to get Maps working for me as I drove she had no idea what to do – because using technology isn’t just using technology. It’s using maps, asking good questions and evaluating answers, it’s writing a paragraph with a thesis and supporting sentences, it’s knowing when to be friendly and when to be warned.

With younger kids it can seem easier – because younger kids still have faith that we grownups know what we’re doing and their world is generally more sheltered even online. But it’s the teens who generally have the tools to get in trouble – either in school or on their own phone and devices. They need us to help them understand the potential dangers – from basic stranger danger to tarnishing their own reputation online. I have gone into high schools to talk about exactly that – brand management for teens because teens are their own brands! I talk to them as I would a client – we look up their names online and start from there. In each class I see at least one pair of worried eyes when I say that it’s pretty easy to screen-capture a Snapchat picture. Kids need guidance.

Common Media has produce a flier with some advice on talking to kids about technology – thought I’d share their tips here.

Here are the 5 basics to cover during The Talk:

Be kind. Try to instill a sense of empathy in your kids. Remember: there’s someone else on the other side of the screen.
Younger kids: Treat others like you want to be treated ¬ and always follow a website’s rules for behavior. Ask: How do you see other kids behaving online? What are some nice things you’ve seen other kids do?
Older kids: Post constructive comments, and avoid getting into flame wars with trolls. Ask: What kind of positive behavior do you see online?
Keep private things private. Talk about what’s OK for kids to share online and what’s not.
Younger kids: Get kids to think about safety without scaring them. Don’t share your name, address, school, age, etc. Ask: Why don’t we want strangers to know certain things about us or our family?
Older kids: Don’t broadcast your location, send photos to strangers, or share passwords with friends. Ask: What kind of information can be unsafe to share, and what’s fair game?
Don’t believe everything you see. Just because it’s online doesn’t make it true. Not everybody is who they say they are.
Younger kids: Teach kids to be detectives. Ask: How can you tell whether something is true online? What are some signs that something might not be true?
Older kids: Use reputable sources. Learn to recognize red flags. Ask: How can you tell what’s a reliable source of information? What are some signs something’s a scam?
Don’t overshare. Think before you post. Use privacy settings.
Younger kids: Help kids understand what sharing something online means. Ask: Who can see what you’re doing or saying online?
Older kids: Encourage kids to pause before they act. Ask: What are some questions you can ask yourself before you share something online? Have you ever regretted something you’ve posted or said online?
Stand up for others. If someone’s getting bullied or picked on, speak up, report it, or reach out.
Younger kids: Make sure kids know they can come to you for help. Teach them how to flag misbehavior. Ask: What would you do if you saw someone being mean online or in a game?
Older kids: Give kids tools to use in a crisis. Ask: If someone was being mean to you online, what would you want your friends to do? Do you know how to flag or report bullying on a social network or in a multiplayer game?