Social Media, Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship 101 For Teens and Young Adults
By the year 2011, it was estimated that there were approximately 1.9 billion people online, a large segment of which are children, pre-teens, teens, and young adults. As the Internet continues to grow in popularity, we are depending upon it more and more to conduct everyday life, which also includes the sharing of private and at times very sensitive information about ourselves with others on-line knowingly, and at times, unknowingly. Many who are now on-line use the Internet for communication, entertainment, information gathering, socializing, and commerce. It is a reality however, that the Internet (just like the real world) has also created a virtual environment where thieves, vandals, conartists, and sexual predators will hunt their prey. Unfortunately, teens and young adults who are using the Internet and Social Media are not taking the appropriate safety precautions to help mitigate the risks from those who might want to victimize them on-line for personal gain. Our Social Media, Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship 101 seminars will provide information that will help to keep students safer, while protecting their on-line digital footprint, when interacting in the cyber world. Topics discussed in this seminar include:
What is the Internet
Internet Stats and fact
What are Chat Rooms, Instant Messaging, and SMS/MMS texting and how to stay safe while using them
Cell phone/ Smart Phone and Web Cam safety
What is your "digital dossier" and how students are placing their reputation and privacy at risk when on-line
Why future employeers, colleges and universities are checking a student's digital dossier
Things students can do immediately to protect their digital dossier
The good and bad of Social Networks such as "Facebook", "Twitter", "Nexopia"
How to secure your Social Networks
Safe Blogging
The dangers of Screen Names and Profiles
Who is the Internet predator
The Predators "grooming" process and the "lures" they use in Chat Rooms and Social Networks
How the Internet predator uses "Social Engineering" to build rapport
Actual Social Engineering examples using local teen profiles on Facebook and Nexopia
What is Cyber Bullying/Violence and what can be done to stop it
What is Sexting and what can be done to stop it
The law as it relates to Cyber Bullying and Sexting and their unintended consequences
Why Schools have a part to play
This seminar is designed to educate even the most computer illiterate user. Knowledge, and the understanding and application of that knowledge, is power. This seminar provides the knowledge and information that teens and young adults need to know to stay safe while participating in the cyber world.
Here are two great videos from the "Family On-Line Safety Institue" specific to current digital media use and our kids.
So what makes our program different from those being offered by other companies and organizations ???
- Darren is an internationally recognized expert, published author and highly sought after speaker who specializes in the area of Personal Safety both on-line and off-line. No other company or program can bring the "real world" experience and perspective that we can to this issue given our professional background. Find our Bio here.
- We actually take the time to covertly “Socially Engineer” students at the schools that we will be presenting at, and no other program does this to the depth that we do. Not only do we use "open source" Internet platforms to "screen scrape" information, we also covertly connect with students directly, via their social networks, and "creep" (socially engineer) them into believing that we are their age, which ultimately results in us being invited in as a "friend", thus effectively demonstrating why a student needs to be careful about "friending". Although we do not disclose who those students are at the assembly to prevent peer embarrassment, we do use examples from other schools to demonstrate the dangers of TMI (too much information) as it relates to personal safety when it comes to social media and the Internet. The fact that we have socially engineered students, allows us to immediately build rapport with the audience as a person who knows his stuff, and therefore a person who needs to be listened to. We would encourage you to connect with any of the teaching staff at the schools that we have presented at (we can provide references upon request) , and they will confirm the positive impact that our "White Hat" social engineering strategy had on their students.
- Our program is not just about Social Media and Internet safety, it’s also about digital citizenship and the challenges surrounding privacy (our digital dossier), cyber-bullying, sexting and what students can do now to protect their digital footprint, so that their on-line activities do not have a negative effect on their future college, university or job opportunities.
- We stay current in everything we do, and we have documented evidence that our presentation positively changes Internet behavior. We are also very proud of the fact that our Internet presentation has saved the lives of students in our province, who were contemplating suicide as an option, because they were being targeted for cyber-bullying or sexting gone wrong issues. These students heard our message, reached out to us for help, and in each and every case we were able to get them the help that they needed.
- At the conclusion of the presentation, Darren also offers his time and services for free to those students and teachers who contact him directly wanting to have their Social Network security settings checked. If Darren identifies a problem, he provides one-on-one online coaching to make things more secure. Thousands of students have taken Darren up on this offer. No other company provides this free service to schools and their students. Given Darren's background, we have become an on-line resource for students who want or need to connect with us on issues or challenges specific to their on-line and even off-line activities, and this is something that we are very proud of. Plain and simple, students "trust" Darren and the information that he provides.
- When we present, we speak “with” the students and not “at” the students. Darren's dynamic teaching style and professional background allows him to connect with students at an emotional, psychological and even a physical level. We present our information in a way that is direct, open and honest. Our "real world" delivery of information is what makes our presentation so very different from all the other programs, and thus why it is so well received by students and staff.
- We bring all our own equipment (lap top, projector, mic and auditorium sound system); all you need to provide is a table, screen and power chord/source.
Our Program Was Recognized By The BC Information & Privacy Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, In A 2011 Keynote Address To The Privacy and Cloud-Based Educational Technology Conference Where She Stated:
" I read a wonderful story in the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper last month about a Victoria Police Staff Sergeant named Darren Laur who poses as a teen on Facebook in order to educate students about privacy and security. Laur, who is 46, maintained a fake profile for over a year on Facebook using purchased pictures and information gleaned from the Facebook accounts of real teens. When he made a presentation at Cedar Community Secondary in Nanaimo las month, he had already friended 30 students at that school who had no idea that their "friend" was actually him. He had done such a convincing job with the profile that one of the real teens even asked the fake teen out on a date. When Laur revealed during the presentation that he was their friend, students were shocked and pledged to pay more attention to their privacy online."
Here's What The Media Are Saying About Our Internet Programs
Here's What Students, Teachers, and Parents Are Saying
Seminar Length: 2 hours
Seminar Cost: Greater Victoria $400.00 (rate includes HST). Outside Greater Victoria please call for quote.
Class Size: Unlimited
**SPECIAL**: Bundle two Internet school presentations, or an Internet school presentation with a parent's Internet presentation and save $150.00
Prices listed reflect programs delivered in the Greater Victoria area. For those who are interested in our programs outside of Greater Victoria, please contact us directly for a quote
