Summer vacation is here, which leaves a lot of time for children to spend online and on their phones. Are you overwhelmed by how your children are using technology and need a crash course? Learn the basics of Internet safety with the “Raising Media-Smart Kids” presentation, find answers to common questions on our tip-sheets and work with your family to set rules using the Family Media Agreements.

Do you feel like you’ve got the basics down and want to share what you know? Take this time to teach your community. We have workshops, a presentation, and flyers, so you can help others navigate the web in a safer, more responsible way.

You can access the kit here. Let us know what you think!

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If you’re a parent like me, you’re constantly reminded that all of the technology we use to make life so much better can also give us some real challenges. Here are a few examples you may relate to: Has your child relentlessly campaigned to get a mobile phone but you think he’s too young? Have you said “no” to getting the latest app your child wants and then had to listen to them nag you to change your mind? Have you hit the roof when you walk into the family room on a beautiful weekend morning to see your child with a game controller in their hands, eyes glazed over?

Well, it’s Internet Safety Month, so what better time to talk about how to use technology to teach our children responsibility? Join me on June 18 from 12:30-1:00 p.m. EDT. when I’ll go through some real-life scenarios and concrete solutions. We will go over how to use the moment when you give a child a mobile device to set your standards and expectations for how they present themselves and how they interact with others. And you don’t have to worry about keeping up with every new device, game or app that your child is suddenly using.  I’ll give you my best suggestions for establishing standards of behavior that your child will know you want them to follow no matter the situation or device. With a few simple guidelines, we really can get a handle of how to use technology as a way to teach our children responsibility.

For more simple strategies and easy-to-use tips on how to raise your “digital natives,” register now for the free webinar on June 18 from 12:30-1 p.m. EDT. RSVP for the webinar here: http://vz.to/13zfOtn

Cover photo courtesy of Flickr

• have school attendance problems
• demonstrate behavioral problems
• perform more poorly academically
• drop out of high school
• be incarcerated
• have a shorter life expectancy

Think about it…as adults we have basic needs that must be met for us to perform well at work. For me, a full night’s sleep and a good cup of coffee are needed to perform at high levels through the day. If one or both of those needs go unmet, I’m not worth much. But what about the children? We expect as a nation for our children to read and write on grade level, and to be taught new skills requiring very high cognitive ability. We want our children to demonstrate mastery on a wide array of curricular standards. In order to be successful, our children have to come to school at the top of their game, ready to learn.

Yet, far too many children come to school with empty stomachs, untreated health problems, and suffering of sleep deprivation. Throw in the high incidents of social problems such as physical, mental, and sexual abuse of our neediest children, and we, the adults, create an inhumane environment in which many of our children are expected to grow. The message, “You will learn. You will read and do math on grade level. You will perform at your potential…no matter what. No excuses!” may sound harsh, but it is reality for a growing number of children living in poverty in a nation that prides itself in prosperity for all.

Caring educators across the country find a way to meet those unmet needs by making personal sacrifices. For the kid who is hungry, they find extra food. Need a pair of new shoes? Maybe the teacher will find a bargain at a garage sale this next weekend, or maybe he or she passes the hat to his or her peers at lunch to help meet the need. Although sometimes the need is just too great and the teacher is unable to do much more than offer encouragement by way of a hug or a shoulder to cry on.

In Joplin, Missouri we have stepped up to the challenge by creating a rapid response system to meet the needs of every child. The Bright Futures initiative was established in the summer of 2010 to meet the needs of any child within a 24-hour period - no matter what. Through over 300 partnerships between our human service agencies, business partners, and faith based community, as well as the unique use of social media, a fabric of interconnectedness has been created to do the work communities should be doing. That is securing our future by taking care of those we are entrusting to lead our community 20 years from now.

If you would like to learn more about how Joplin and many other communities are getting it done for kids, visit our website at www.BrightFuturesUSA.org.

Cover photo courtesy of Flickr

While their hacks addressed a number of tough issues, some questions were still left unanswered. Namely, how do young people use the Internet and technology to learn? That question led to another which led to another. It really got us thinking…

To help get to the bottom of it we designed an informal poll for parents, teachers and teens. Whether it’s with your kids, with your students, or with your teachers, we’d like to know how you use online content.

It’s simple. All you have to do is select the audience that best describes you and answer a few short questions:

So come on, what are a few questions among friends? It will only take a few minutes, I promise.

Plus, your responses may help us design new, exciting content for the site. Not to mention, you may see them on our Facebook or Twitter pages.

Cover image courtesy of Flickr.

My advice? TALK. It’s a parenting model I use that rests on two pillars: "T" for Trust and "K" for Communication (yes, I know that Communication starts with a "C," but TALC was not a great acronym, as it suggested baby powder). When I introduce the model, I make sure that parents realize when it comes to children’s technology use and online lives, trust is paramount, and trust is engendered through communication.

My suggestion is always to be the parent who talks to their children about dangers and works with them from a young age to build their trust. That way, when they receive a communication or see something online that makes them feel uncomfortable or even upset, they will talk to the person who spent time developing their trust: you, their parent.
To help build trust and keep the lines of communications open between you, I recommend having family discussions about technology early and often.

This means that you start when you hand your 2-year-old an iPhone and allow her to play with an app or to email grandma and grandpa. The meetings must be short. When the kids are little, a meeting should last only a few minutes, and as they get older, the meeting might be as long as 15 minutes, but no longer, as that is pushing against a teenager's ability to attend and focus without his/her thoughts wandering back to their virtual social worlds and what they might be missing.

The set-up is simple. Everyone sits on the floor, which removes some of the feeling of powerful, taller mom and dad hovering over tiny children or even preteens. Everyone turns his or her technology off and then mom or dad asks a question (this is to “Assess” what they are doing and feeling, the “A” in the TALK model).

When kids are young, it might be something like, "What is your favorite iPhone app and why do you like it?" or "What fun videos did you watch this week?"

As the kids get older, the meetings expand and the questions turn to more feelings-based issues such as, "I heard about someone being bullied online. Do you know anyone that has been cyberbullied? What happened and how did they feel?" or "Have you ever seen images online that made you feel uncomfortable? Can you tell me what you felt?" BTW, the “L” in the TALK model is for “learn” which means that you need to be aware of technology and these issues. Your best teachers are your high-tech kids!

The bottom line is that once the question has been asked, the parent's job is to sit quietly, with a neutral or positive expression and not say a word. This is the time to use your parental radar to really listen to your kids. There will be other times to make suggestions or develop guidelines for good technology behavior, but these family discussions are for listening and assessing.

Digital parenting in today’s world is tough – perhaps tougher than when my kids were growing up. However, it is possible to learn to safely and responsibly navigate these virtual spaces together. All you need to do is…TALK. 

Cover image courtesy of Flickr. 

Dr. Rosen is Professor and Past Chair of the Psychology Department at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He is a research psychologist, computer educator, keynote speaker and is recognized as an international expert in the “Psychology of Technology.” You can find more information about him on his website and read some of his other blogs on the Huffington Post.

That’s the formula for any outing I have with my friends.

Unlike when my parents were kids, I can instantly capture and share memories – immortalizing them in feeds and timelines with the click of a button or mouse. But, what if someone were to delete it all? What would I remember?

I bet my parents could tell me how it felt – and I really mean felt – to win the Division basketball title. They probably remember every detail of their prom, down to the smell of their date’s corsage or boutonniere.

Would I remember those things about my life’s most important moments? Or, would I have lost bits and pieces because I was too focused on choosing a photo filter or crafting the perfect 140 character message?

Technology has allowed us to preserve our lives in unimaginable ways. But, when we’re posting our memories, let’s not forget what’s most important – making them.

Live your life in the moment. After all, you can always #latergram it…

A big thanks to Kayla Aimee for the inspiration behind this blog. 

"Dad... Dad... Dad! Watch!"

"Just a second honey," you say as you turn back to finish reading your work email.

We've all been there. So plugged into our technology that we let actual life pass us by without notice. According to the most recent comScore Report, 133.7 million Americans own smartphones. That number doesn't even take into account tablets, laptops and the countless other devices that people use to connect to the virtual world. With summer vacation right around the corner, family time should be a priority, but lately it has been co-opted by bosses who want you available 24/7 and kids who have tantrums if they can't watch their favorite movie.

Psychologist Dr. Mike Fraser, who specializes in Internet and Gaming Addiction, has noticed that over the past couple of years, the number of calls to his office concerning excessive screen time has increased. "Whether a laptop, tablet, smartphone or video game device, more and more people are losing productive time at work and school" says Dr. Fraser. "Some are having arguments with their parents or significant others and in the worst cases, even becoming physically aggressive when the screens are turned off or taken away."

It's time to take a stand for everyone's health and talk about a digital detox while on vacation. Instead of going digital-free cold turkey, it is important to set you and your family up for success. Try these tips and I guarantee that you'll return relaxed and refreshed and not in need of a vacation from your vacation.

Make the Detox Decision as a Family - Don't spring a digital detox on the kids or your partner, talk it out! Vacation time is about the group, so make everyone feel included. Sit down before you leave and explain why a digital detox is a much-needed piece of vacation. Let everyone have his or her say, then compromise. It doesn't mean you have to leave all devices at home, but set limits on both time and place spent in front of the screen.

Plan Group Activities - Whether you are headed to the beach, the jungle or a cabin in the woods, make a decision to be active. Get out and experience nature. Listen to the sounds, take in the smells and go for a walk. If you take surfing lessons or visit the local petting zoo, you are guaranteed to have something exciting to talk about during dinner. Plus, an added benefit of physical exercise is a better night's sleep.

Still don't think you can do it on your own? Then get a little support.

Choose a Vacation Place or Property that Limits Connectivity - Resorts and hotels around the world are hearing your cries and have decided to step in and help. Do some research and book your stay at a property that only offers Wi-Fi in the lobby or has dead-zones that limits your ability to connect. Go one step further and head to a U.S. National Park where the buffalo roam and a 'no service' symbol will give you no other choice than to disconnect.

Still worried because you use your smartphone to take family photos? Switch it into airplane mode so you won't be interrupted by the constant ping of incoming mail or social media updates. This summer, make the choice to do a digital detox and grab some screen-free time with your family. You may even learn a bit more about them.

Cover image courtesy of Wikimedia.

Here are some tips I’ve learned while raising the next generation of technology users:

Educate yourself. This is the number one tip because it is the most important. You can’t teach your kids how to safely use technology if you do not know anything about it. Any time I learn about a new app or social site, I join immediately and become familiar with the settings and purpose.

Educate your kids. Be sure your kids know the risks of having a social media account. I show my kids the Dateline episodes with the online predators so they understand that it CAN happen.

Follow/Friend your kids. Yes, I said follow your kids and have them follow you back. If my kids do not want me to follow them, then I'm sure they are doing something on there they don't me to know about.

Follow the rules of the social sites. If the site will not allow kids under 13 to have an account, do not lie about their age to get them an account. You are teaching your kids that it is ok to lie about their age and they will do the same to sign up for other accounts. There are also the rules that are not specifically stated on each social network, but will help keep your kids safe online. Be sure they know both.

Set a good example. Kids need to see how technology can be used in positive ways. Don’t let the technology take away from your family time. There is a time and place for technology use, show them the boundaries.

Use parent/child contracts. If you set up rules from the start and have the rules written down and signed by both you and your kids, there are no questions about what the rules are.

As parents, we have to be sure we have a healthy attitude about technology. If we are afraid of it or addicted to it, our children will pick up on that regardless of what you tell them.

How do you teach your children to use technology to enhance their lives?

Cover photo by Michele McGraw. 

More about Lucinda...

Lucinda Fell joined Childnet International in October 2007 taking on the role of Director for communications and the formulation of Childnet's policy responses as well as contributing to the production and publication of various key resources. She regularly represents Childnet’s point of view at various meetings and policy fora, both in the UK and also internationally, promoting a balanced approach to online risks, highlighting the importance of education and recognition of the positive opportunities that engagement in the online world can bring young people.

Lucinda founded, led and developed Childnet’s Youth IGF Project in 2009, and has successfully and meaningfully taken the voice of the youth to the UN mandated Internet Governance Forum in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and will be leading the team taking part in the IGF 2013. She is a member of UK Council for Child Internet Safety, the European Commission Social Networking Taskforce, the Facebook Safety Advisory Board, and the UN Multistakeholder Adviosry Group (MAG) for the IGF. Prior to working at Childnet, Lucinda worked with the UK's leading trade association for ISPs as the Public Affairs Manager and  was a Policy Advisor in the International Communications Directorate of the then Department of Trade and Industry.

Lucinda holds an honors degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Birmingham and was awarded the University International Relations Award.

1. Constant phone checking (44 percent of the respondents included this in their top five)
2. Loud talkers (41 percent)
3. Using or not silencing the phone when appropriate, for instance in social settings (40 percent)
4. Using the phone during face-to-face conversations (39 percent)
5. Delaying traffic (35 percent)

Respondents shared with us, a number of entertaining stories; like pocket dialing while singing along to the radio. While this may be simply irritating, or even embarrassing to some, it’s a great example of how you may be doing more than just annoying your social circles. In fact, you could be putting your personal information at risk. 

Our Microsoft Safer Online poll found that:

• Nearly half of respondents (47 percent) said they have lost their mobile phone,
• Exactly half (50 percent) said they have pocket dialed someone, and
• More than half (58 percent) have shared their location more often than they should

More often than not, our mobile device has just as much, if not more, personal information on it than our computer.  While our poll showed that men and women believe they are equally safe when it comes to their mobile behaviors, we know in reality, this isn’t the case.

According to our Microsoft Computing Safety Index released earlier this year;

• Men do a slightly better job using technical features:
  • 35 percent use a “PIN” (personal identification number) or password to lock their mobile device vs. 33 percent of women
  • 35 percent use secured wireless networks compared to 32 percent of women
  • 32 percent keep their mobile device up to date vs. 24 percent of women
• Women, on the other hand, tend to be savvier when it comes to protecting their online reputations
  • Women often take additional steps to limit both their personal information online (40 percent vs. 37 percent), and public information on social networking sites (40 percent vs. 32 percent)
  • Women are also more careful about what they put in text messages (34 percent vs. 31 percent).

So what can you do to protect your device, information, and reputation? Consider adding just one of these notable habits and practices to your online routine:

1. Lock your phone with a unique PIN or password.
2. Limit the apps that can access your location, and think before sharing your whereabouts on social media.
3. Save financial transactions for a secure network, not public Wi-Fi.
4. Defend your phone against malware with updates and reputable apps.
5. Know when to silence your phone and be present with others!

You can take the Microsoft Safer Online Facebook poll and find more information about general mobile phone safety at: www.microsoft.com/security. Or “Like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay current.

Cover image courtesy of Flickr

Kim Sanchez is Director of Privacy and Online Safety in the Trustworthy Computing group at Microsoft Corporation. She is responsible for strategic communications to worldwide consumer and government audiences on Microsoft's work in computer privacy, security and online safety.

Sure, you could pull a silly prank on someone or tell a friend to dress up in a crazy costume. But, why not do something really out of the box this year? Why don’t you challenge your friends and family to do good online?

Those negative words someone said about a friend on social media – stand up to them! I dare you to be an encouraging voice.

That blog your friend loves, the one she’s been too shy to post comments on – dare her to write in. Her positive input could spark a really awesome conversation.

Those new tech skills you’ve been meaning to learn, you know, the ones you’ve been talking about improving for years – sign up for a class. Go on, I dare you.

You have the power to do good online every day. But, at A Plarform for Good, we just happen to think the good feels greater when everyone gets involved.

Tell us in the comment section below or on our Facebook page how you plan to dare your friends and family to do good online this weekend. I double-dog dare you.

Image courtesy of Flickr. 

The first person was Charlie Rogers. Charlie was the starting quarterback for the school football team, and he had the whole school in the palm of his hand. He was an All-State football player and the Pride of West High. He didn’t have to talk to me, but he did, and that made all the difference.

Every morning he would be the first person to greet me as I walked through the doors of school. We never had conversations that went past pleasantries, but that year I learned what a true champion is. Here was a kid who had every right to just blow me off. Here was a kid who had colleges drooling over him. Here was a kid who could sweet talk any girl in the school into dating him. He seemingly had everything, and he made me feel welcome at West.

Charlie is now at Iowa State University where he plays cornerback instead of quarterback. He showed me that no matter how big you are or think you are, you should never forget about the people at the bottom working their way through every day.

The second notable person to speak to me that year was Mr. Walden. Walden wasn’t a teacher per say, he was the proud caretaker of the school library. West’s library is the second biggest library in town, a fact of which Walden was never afraid to remind people. More than a librarian, Walden was also a cancer survivor. He battled throat cancer for a chunk of time that left his once athletic body frail and aged, and his voice permanently destroyed by its effects.

On the first day of high school I wandered into the library after school to check out its famous collection, and being a classic high school nerd, I was carrying around my unwieldy violin case. As I was perusing the history aisle I felt a tap on my shoulder and immediately wheeled around. I saw a beaming elderly man looking right back at me. He pointed at my violin and asked me what I played. The rest is history. From then on I came in every day after school and most days before school, not so much to read or check out books, but to talk to him.

Some weeks we would discuss school dances. When it was election season we focused on politics. Sometimes it was sports. The whole world was a target of our discussions. I could talk to him about anything and he would always give me advice that helped. More times than I care to count he saved me from hurting myself or doing something stupid. I learned lots from Walden. See, he wasn’t just a cancer survivor — amazing in itself — but he was also a track coach. He coached jumps for West High Track, which has a tradition of excellent jumpers. Walden coached me into the track athlete I am now.

Coach Walden catalyzed the start of westhighbros more than any other adult except maybe my parents. He was the first adult who I told about westhighbros. Every time an interview of mine would be on TV he would turn all the televisions in the library to the correct channel, which often meant an overcrowded library. Coach Walden was the first adult that I chose to trust. He was the man who taught me that there is good in everyone, even in the “bad” people.

Parents are sort of obligated to tell their kids that everyone deserves to be happy, but I feel that he was the first person who told me this even though he didn’t have to. This year will be Walden’s last. He’s moving to a ranch out in Montana, so if any of my readers from Montana see an elderly man with an irresistible toothy smile named Jim Walden, please send him my best regards.

Jeremiah is a high school senior and creator of @westhighbros, a Twitter account that Tweets compliments to friends and classmates.

As I crossed the threshold into forty however, I began to feel somewhat conspicuous hanging out at the mall, pool hall and street corners. So, I moved on to develop projects and programs that evolved into a non-profit organization, Safe OnLine Outreach Society (SOLOS). Despite my immersion into the changing world of the online youth issues and our organizational attempts to respond to them, I missed hanging out with young people.

To this day (as I’ve now hit the over 50 mark), I still love seeing youth helping and leading each other in pro-social, supportive ways. However, the struggle has been how to best design something that puts them at the center of learning experiences without directly delivering the information as I have in the past.

One solution that we came up with is our Youth-2-youth Program. The general idea of the program was to have volunteer high school students interview elementary aged children at neighboring schools about their online use, tutor them on Internet safety and then have them return to the elementary school and do a presentation about it to students, parents and educators. The Program embraces the premises that;

• youth themselves are the best agents of positive change in behaviours within their peer groups,
• they can be informed role models,
• they can provide other children and youth with feedback, support and advice on online behaviours.

We have delivered the Program intermittently since 2005. And while it has been difficult to fund at times, the interest of school administrators to have the program has remained steady. While it has had its ups and downs, the thing that hasn’t changed is the magic of watching teens bloom in front of an audience of enraptured children while they talk about one of their favourite topics – the Internet.

This program has shown that;

• High school youth more effectively internalize the online safety messages when they have to teach them to children rather than be passive audience members.
• Teens reflect on their own risky online behaviours more critically when they interview younger children.
• Children respond better to older youth teaching them about the Internet than they might to adults teaching the same message.
• This interactive cascading model of information delivery is much more responsive to changing trends and issues online since the content is generated by youth themselves.

Having youth develop content themselves and deliver it to their peers helps with building empathy, compassion and the importance of “think before you post.”

For more information on this program, and our other school based and professional internet safety programs, please visit our website at www.safeonlineoutreach.com or follow us on twitter @MerlynHorton.

Cover image courtesy of SOLOS homepage. 

Merlyn Horton is a chic Mac she-geek that started her professional career as a youthworker and street outreach program pioneer. Starting in Calgary AB in the early 1980's until the end of her frontline career in 2000, she worked with high risk youth in many different residential and community settings. Knows as a strong advocate, she created a new career for herself over the last 12 years as the founder and Executive Director of SOLOS.

If ever there was something that had the potential to make life both easier and harder for parents, it’s technology. From education to those precious moments of peace, technology can enhance family life. It can bring generations together and make it possible for parents to share moments they might otherwise miss.

On the other hand, it’s also the single biggest challenge for modern families. It is the thing that defines this generation of parents, setting them apart from all previous generations. The range of issues it brings to family life is extraordinary - from the loss of privacy to the exposure to online pornography, from high phone bills to gaming that slips into addiction. Parenting has a new frontier and it is the most difficult environment of all to apply parenting skills to. 

The very nature of modern technology is intimate and direct to the user. Devices are designed to facilitate direct access to the Internet with minimum interruption – wherever you are. And that includes interruption from parents. Today’s parents have to set boundaries for their children about things of which they have little knowledge. They have to do this in the face of some of the most innovative product development and marketing activity that industry has ever undertaken. That’s a challenge. Luckily, we know that parents have an endless willingness to embrace a challenge if it means their children are safe and happy. If they didn’t, there wouldn’t be a child in the world that could ride a bike.

Our job is to make that as easy as possible. That’s why we run training to help professionals deliver information to parents called Parenting in the Digital Age. We deliver information to parents through our extensive network of professionals, including schools, and we work with companies to deliver innovative parent information. We also offer a variety of resources for parents and schools on The Parent Zone, which you can get started with below:

Vodafine Digital Parenting Magazine

TalkTalk - free Simple Steps guides

Resources for Parents

Cover image courtesy of Flickr

Vicki first became involved in creating parent-friendly initiatives when she joined the Family and Parenting Institute in 1999. She cultivated this interest by working with children’s and parents’ charities including the Children’s Society and the Housing Association Charitable Trust. It was these experiences that inspired her to set up The Parent Zone in 2005 with a simple aim: to work with the companies and organisations real parents engage with on a daily basis to create practical approaches to making parenting less stressful.

This is probably because these teens have been online since they were quite young and were taught from an early age that they should be responsible about how they represent themselves online – from never giving out personal information to strangers or posting embarrassing photos and videos that might come back to haunt them later in life.

But this isn’t easy to keep a handle on it, considering how many social tools are out there that can capture and publish their lives for the world. From social networking sites like Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter to photo and video sharing tools like Instagram, Snapchat and Vine, there are more opportunities than ever to put our lives online.

Still, as much as we talk to kids about how to represent themselves online, we rarely talk about how to represent other people online. What about their friends’ images and personal information? Considering the importance of peers in their lives, and the prevalence of peers in their own status updates and pictures, it actually seems like an important but overlooked conversation.

Representing friends online

In the age of social media, where snapping a photo or video and sharing it with everyone in school is both easy and common, we must consider how producing and posting affects others. A thoughtful family discussion about asking permission might be all that it takes to trigger a more responsible approach when it comes to personal disclosure. We would never think of borrowing something from a friend without asking first. We would never share personal, confidential information about a friend who asked us to keep a matter private. Too often, the Internet often seems to throw these common social mores out the window.

This probably has something to do with the fact that social capital among the young can be so easily conferred by simply posting an embarrassingly funny photo of a peer on Facebook or sending it to someone on Snapchat.  A kid might say, “If I ask permission to post something, no one will ever say yes” (which is probably often true). Urge him or her to consider what they know about their friend – for example, is she especially worried about how she looks in braces? Tell them to put themself in the other person’s shoes: Would they want this posted about them?

Talk to them about this quick list of questions to use as a guide when the opportunity arises to post something about a peer:

1. Am I about to post a photo, video, status or whatever else that will embarrass or hurt someone else?

2. Am I about to post a visual image of someone else that reveals a private fact about that person?

3. Who could possibly see this post who my friend would not want to see it? (The answer to this could simply be your friend’s faint-hearted grandmother, but even her shock is worth considering.)

4. If I were to ask permission to post this, would the other person involved say no?

5. How long might this photo or posting be available online? (And in the case of Snapchat, where the photo is supposed to self-destruct minutes after it’s sent, can you think of any ways that the photo might be saved and distributed? Maybe through a screen grab? Yep. Thought so.)

Teaching young people to be considerate of others’ images online certainly teaches them digital citizenship, but it also cultivates a stronger sense of empathy as it relates to social media. I can’t help but think that a sense of empathy online can translate into increased empathy for others in general – and that would really make the world a better place both online and off.

Cover image courtesy of Flickr.

Shayla Thiel-Stern, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota who studies youth and digital media. Her books include Instant Identity: Adolescent Girls and the World of Instant Messaging (Peter Lang, 2007) and From the Dance Hall to Facebook: Mass Media, Gendered Panic and Teen Girls in Public Recreational Space, 1905 to 2010 (University of Massachusetts Press, forthcoming).

Eat your vegetables. Exercise Regularly. Reduce stress. Drink more (filtered) water. We are obsessed with doing as much as we can to live fuller, better, smarter lives. And we use our mobile devices to help. There are thousands of self-improvement apps on the iTunes and Google Play stores. I use several myself.

Yet we all have something else we can do to change our “wellness” habits when we are driving, at this moment. Don’t Text and Drive. #itcanwait

Taking our eyes off the road, our hands off the wheel, to send or read a text, email, comment, post, tweet, is an unnecessary risk. The Department of Transportation has sobering statistics that reinforce the message, and they have compiled a summary of all the state laws about hands-free calling and texting while driving.

We want everyone in the mobile community to arrive at their destination safely. That’s why Verizon is joining forces with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and many others in the It Can Wait campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.

The campaign is straightforward: we ask people to visit itcanwait.com, learn about the consequences of distracted driving, and pledge to never text and drive.

We’ve also enlisted our Verizon Wireless sales force throughout the nation to discuss distracted driving and spread the word that Texting and Driving Don’t Mix. We and our partners are also putting advertising muscle behind It Can Wait with a national TV, online and radio campaign.

I know distracted driving is a complex social problem – ingrained habits are hard to break. But we’re working hard to be part of the solution. We’ve advocated for responsible driving laws for more than a decade, and we support common-sense legislation to ban texting and emailing while driving. And we’re putting our sharpest minds to the task of creating innovative technology to help customers drive responsibly.

Driving responsibly is a personal responsibility for all of us. It should be your first priority. Join me in taking a pledge to never text and drive and help spread the word.

#itcanwait

Cover photo courtesy of Flickr

Jack promotes digital wellness and online safety. He works with parents, educators, service providers, application developers and industry leaders to foster responsible use of Verizon's mobile and broadband networks.

To accomplish this, I originally wanted to start a girls group in my school, but soon realized that I could help girls all over the world facing the same issue simply by using the power of the Internet. That’s when I decided to create Love Share Care. LoveShareCare.com is a bully-free, positive social networking site for adolescent girls.

It’s a place where girls can freely share what they love in a caring, safe environment. I want to combat the cyber bully epidemic for good and that’s why Love Share Care has a built-in filter system that automatically blocks profanity and racial slurs.

As a member of Love Share Care, each girl gets a profile that shows her school spirit. Members also have access to our social stream where they can post love shouts, share photos, love comments, meet new friends, join our online cyber parties and take part in our daily challenges.  Each daily challenge (act of kindness) is designed to steer the girls towards positive interaction. They give members the opportunity to spread love, and in the process of doing so, members have the opportunity to win cool prizes like skate passes, movie tickets, gift cards and more. Basically, the more positive the girls are on the site, the more chances they have to be rewarded. I want my efforts to inspire girls all over the world, and to let teens like me to know that it’s actually cool to be nice.

The presentation, which you can see here, emphasized the positive approach we are taking with PfG in an effort to encourage good digital citizenship in all its aspects. And, for the first time, I was able to announce our new European partners who will contribute blogs, resources and their time to support the platform to their users.

It was the first step in a longer term effort to internationalize PfG and to make it more relevant to parents, teachers and teens throughout the world. Next month, we are introducing it to an Australian audience at our Forum in Melbourne on June 25th. And we are in discussions about a possible Latin American event early next year to bring our resources and to localize theme to a whole new audience.

In return, we are gaining not only new users, but whole new perspectives and approaches that have been developed in Europe and further afield. This is a global medium and we will need cross-border solutions, ideas and cooperation to tackle the challenges and realize the opportunities of our new digital world. 

The Irish Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Francis Fitzgerald, told a wonderful story at the beginning of our Dublin event, of a two year old girl who walked up to a window and pinched and spread her fingers on the glass, expecting it to act like the iPad she had just been playing with. In that one image, the Minister illustrated just how intuitive and second nature digital devices are for kids and their expectations of what is connected is limitless. It also demonstrates a total lack of fear of devices, even while the older generations are still grappling with all the implications of this always-on medium. 

I stressed at the event that it’s important that we don’t use fear-based messaging when talking with our kids, as they will simply switch off. Instead, we need to use a positive and empowering approach – one that emphasizes responsible, ethical use, while giving kids as much freedom as possible to explore, connect and create positive experiences for themselves and others. 

My hope is that A Platform for Good will provide young people a means to do just that, wherever in the world they are.

From the moment a parent takes a child home from hospital and for the rest of that child’s life, parents care. They fret, they hope and they try to do the right thing.

And here is the tricky bit. If parents were able to raise children in their own family bubble, doing the right thing might be pretty easy. The really big challenges come when the world meets your family life: juggling work and childcare, holding back the commercial pressures that are driven directly to your child, and grappling with peer pressure that draws children towards all sorts of behaviours that within the confines of family life seem unfeasibly risky or sometimes just downright daft.

When I set up The Parent Zone in 2005 it was because I was sick of parents being first ignored and then blamed – often in the same breath by the same policy makers. Companies would target children with their products and services using every marketing tool in their armory and then blithely expect parents to cope with any negative consequences. And it wasn’t just companies. Schools would do nothing to provide parents with information about what their children were learning in school, and then blame parents for not being involved in their children’s learning. If parenting is tough, the bottom line is that the world at large seems set on doing whatever it can to make it tougher. Our job at The Parent Zone is to make it easier. Simples, as my 14 year old would say.

Those of you with a keen eye for detail might recognise that as a rather big challenge. As with all rather big challenges, we break it down to the following:

• We focus on making sure that parents have the information they need to make informed choices. That’s why when Vodafone asked us how to reach parents we suggested a magazine. We are delighted to be working with them to produce a third edition which will take distribution to over 1 million parents.
• We listen to parents and we look at the evidence. People don’t often do that. Our favourite example is the TV in a child’s bedroom. Yes, we know it’s not a good idea and yes we know that ‘professionals’ like to use the statistics of how many parents allow their children to have TV’s in the bedroom as a stick to beat parents with. But we also know that lots of parents don’t have homes large enough to provide their children with any space other than their bedroom to play in. We also know that if you’re a parent who hasn’t slept through the night for years and discovers that cartoons in the bedroom can earn you an extra 10 minutes in bed at 5am, you’re going to be very tempted to make that happen. We know that because we understand the evidence AND the parenting behaviour.
• We work with the places where parents go. This translates to us rolling up our sleeves and helping organisations to get it right. Companies, government, charities and schools – we know that the best way to make life easier for parents is to minimise the things that make life harder. Things like store layouts that put the baby department behind the china section. Or advertising that encourages children to pester their parents for products that their parents don’t want them to have – or can’t afford to buy them.

But how does technology affect parenting? This is the big question. It's the defining aspect of this generation of parents. Check back next week to read how The Parent Zone approaches the benefits and challenges of technology for the modern family.

To find out more about The Parent Zone visit www.theparentzone.co.uk and follow them on Twitter at @theparentszone or email jemma@theparentzone.co.uk.

Vicki first became involved in creating parent-friendly initiatives when she joined the Family and Parenting Institute in 1999. She cultivated this interest by working with children’s and parents’ charities including the Children’s Society and the Housing Association Charitable Trust. It was these experiences that inspired her to set up The Parent Zone in 2005 with a simple aim: to work with the companies and organisations real parents engage with on a daily basis to create practical approaches to making parenting less stressful.

Fact: Teens know a lot more about technology than most adults.

Fact: Teens have the power to build a positive online reputation.

Posting something online can be compared to getting a tattoo; once you press “send” it’s out there for the world to see. Sometimes, like a tattoo, the online content we post can be covered up or removed. However, that too, can be time consuming, costly, and painful. This is why we are constantly reminding our kids, and especially our teenagers, to think before they post. It’s also why we need to start having conversations early about privacy and reputation.

Let's talk privacy.  I think privacy is running away from us faster than we know. A recent PEW Study revealed that 81% of parents of teens give too much information to online advertisers. We have to set an example for our children. Do your kids know never to give out their full name, address, social security number, phone number or other private information online? I know it sounds simplistic, but an average of over 500,000 children have their identity stolen each year. 

Familiarize yourself with the types of information being collected on the sites your kids use and have a conversation with them about what is (and isn’t okay to share). Let’s remind our kids they are in control of their information and have the power to decide what the Internet knows about them. (If you aren’t sure where to start, here four free privacy tools to consider.)

Let’s talk reputation. How to differentiate between public and private isn’t the only conversation we need to have when teaching our children to think before they press “send”. We also need to talk about online reputation. Do your kids understand that they are painting a picture about themselves with every interaction they have online – pictures that can easily be found by college recruiters or future employers? Telling them this isn’t meant to scare them. Rather, it’s meant to serve as a reminder to pay attention to what they are doing. It can also serve as a reminder for how much opportunity they have to turn their reputation into a masterpiece! They get to decide what the world sees online and they have the chance to make it something wonderful.

I know a lot parents feel stressed by the technology that’s out there and these types of conversations. From social media and apps to music players and video games, the world of cyberspace is massive and grows larger every day. But, it’s absolutely critical that parents try to stay ahead their kids technically speaking. I know sometimes that’s not realistic so, if not ahead of our kids, let's at least try to catch up. If your child or teen is on a website or social networking site you are not familiar with, learn about it! Think of it as if your child going to visit a new neighbor. Wouldn't you want to meet them and know who they are hanging with beforehand? 

While technology absolutely has its risks, we can empower our children to understand and overcome them. Parents and kids can work together to build important skills. That way, though the Internet never sleeps, we can give them the tools to succeed and we can all sleep more peacefully...

Cover image courtesy of Flickr. 

Sue Scheff is an author and parent advocate. She founded Parents' Universal Resource Experts, Inc in 2001. Her expertise is educating parents that are struggling with their out-of-control teenager and Internet safety for both kids and adults. In her book, Wit's End! Advice and Resources for Saving Your Out-of-Control Teen, (Health Communications, Inc), Sue Scheff journals her own difficulties with her teen, as well as offers prescriptive advice for parents at their wit's end.

Today, I want to share which teams took home the top prize. Each team had to choose a category to enter their hack in—Social Good, Enable Literacy, and Control of Information. The grand prize winners are: 

• Social Good: Helpster by Team CB Media

​

Helpster is a web and mobile app to connect people in communities willing to volunteer their time (the Helpster) to someone with a simple need (the Needster) who pays for the time/skill via donation to a favorite charity.

• Enable Literacy: Congregate by Team Arganots

​

Congregate is a mobile app used to build common ground one issue at a time. The technology prepares young people (age 13+) to participate in democracy while giving them tools to influence their own future. Users can vote on and discuss issues that matter to them most.

• Control of Information: That Could Be Your Sister by Team That Could Be Your Sister

​

​That Could Be Your Sister is an online community encouraging young people to stop the spread of viral “shaming”. This is a movement to turn bystanders into active supporters helping girls grow up in a safe environment.

Say Cheese! All the winners from the hackathon. Check out the main event site for more details about the winners. 

And want to see more of 'behind the hackathon', visit Facebook's Safety page to view event pics. 

Until next time, 

Nicole

We’re so excited to expand the platform across the Atlantic but know some of you might have questions about what it is. So, what is PfG anyway? We’ve got a presentation outlining what we’re trying to achieve with the project and how we're doing it.

While you’re here be sure to look out for new blog posts from parents, teachers, teens, and advocates abroad, like this entry from David Wright at the UK Safer Internet Centre.

And check out the new international information available in our Resource Center. You’ll find some great resources from our European partners Childnet, ParentZone, Beat Bullying, and Insafe.

Cheers, danke schön, gracias, grazie, merci...we can't wait to interact with you! 

Cover image courtesy of Flickr. 

Over the past eighteen years, we have seen technology transform the lives of children and young people, as well as offer them many incredible opportunities. As a father of five young children, I see first-hand every day the opportunities the Internet offers, but also understand the challenges for parents in helping their children to navigate, use and live in the Internet world safely.

In a recent survey we ran for Safer Internet Day in the UK, we heard overwhelmingly from over 24,000 children and young people that they believe they have a right to feel safe online. Young people’s voices are important in this discussion, and this report highlights that they do have safety concerns. They want to be supported and educated in keeping safe and also recognise the role they have in looking after others.

At Childnet we believe it is critical that children and young people of all ages, as well as those supporting them, are equipped to make good decisions wherever and whenever they are using technology.

We’re not talking about a strict set of prescriptive rules that everyone should adhere by; rather, we want to support parents, carers, teachers and others who work with children in understanding what their young people are doing online. This includes how they could be getting more out of the Internet and what to do if they come unstuck. Also, to make sure that children and young people have targeted age appropriate advice and resources. 

We have just launched a new website at www.childnet.com that provides a wide range of advice and tools for children as young as three, up to secondary aged students. We also have materials for parents, carers and teachers. 

Childnet aims to engage each of these important audiences, answering the questions and concerns we hear from them in our daily work. Childnet also provides videos, stories, and other information equipping them to deal with online risks confidently and safely, as well as responding through our blogs to various news and policy pieces of interest.  

It is really important to us that we celebrate all that is great online, and all that young people have, and can, achieve. In all our work we strive to take a balanced approach, making sure we not only promote the opportunities the Internet provides, but that we create our own opportunities as well, such as our film competition to encourage children and young people to use technology positively.

I would encourage you to check out the new website and sample the wide range of resources and top tips. Together we can help make the Internet a great and safe place for children and young people.

Will Gardner is the CEO of Childnet International, a children’s charity working with others to help make the internet a great and safe place for children. He is a lead partner at the UK Safer Internet Centre, and in this role, organises Safer Internet Day in the UK. He is also a member of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety, and is on Facebook’s Safety Advisory Board. Will lives in London with his wife and their 5 children.

1. Awareness Centre—with the objective to educate and raise awareness among the general public about online safety, with a particular focus on raising awareness with children, parents and teachers on how to stay safe online. The awareness work is led by Childnet International and South West Grid for Learning – two UK charities with world-renowned reputation in online safety.

2. Hotline—operated by the Internet Watch Foundation for the public to report criminal content on the Internet in a confidential way.  After receiving a report, the Internet Watch Foundation works in partnership with the online industry, law enforcement, government, and international partners to take down or minimise the availability of this content, specifically child sexual abuse images hosted anywhere in the world.

3. Professionals Online Safety Helpline—provided by the South West Grid for Learning, helps professionals working with children and young people with any online safety issues they may face themselves or with the children in their care.

Amongst our resources you can find conversation starters—ideas and ways for parents to begin a dialogue with their younger or older children about how to be safe online and how to connect to others with respect. There is also a useful Parents’ Guide to Technology with safety tips and advice on a number of devices including tablets, smartphones and gaming devices.

You can find these and a whole range of other tools and resources on our Advice and Resources page for young people, parents, teachers, social workers and other professionals working with children.

Further links:

South West Grid for Learning http://www.swgfl.org.uk/Staying-Safe
Childnet www.childnet.com
Internet Watch Foundation www.iwf.org.uk

David Wright is Director UK Safer Internet Centre at SWGfL and works alongside partners Childnet and IWF. The UK Safer Internet Centre is the national awareness centre and forms part of the European Commission’s, Safer Internet Programme. David has worked extensively in the area of online safety for many years not only with children, schools and wider communities but also with partner agencies such as the Police, Child protection and social work. David has presented at online safety conferences both nationally and internationally and chairs the National Education Network Safeguarding Group in the UK and is an active member of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety.

We had 15 teams hacking with names like Team Hummus, The Backpackers, CB Media, and That Could Be Your Sister.  What I was really excited to see was the mix of minds from high school to retirement, experienced to novice, and local to around-the-world. The day exceeded all expectations.

For over 5 hours the teams sprawled out across two floors scribbling on paper, coding on laptops, laughing as ideas got tossed around before that aha moment happened. Here are a few of the brilliant hacks that came out of the day:

• Digital Milestones—an online community for parents and kids focusing on 'digital milestones' like creating a digital footprint, data security, privacy, digital citizenship, and more.
• Cyberstoop—a program offering local businesses the ability to share their wi-fi and devices with neighborhood teens who don’t have access to the Internet and computers.
• Helpster—a web and mobile app to connect people in communities willing to volunteer their time (the Helpster) to someone with a simple need (the Needster) who pays for the time/skill via donation to a favorite charity.

Experience more 'hacking in progress' through photos over on Facebook's Safety page and reading the stream of Tweets from the day. Coming later this week—Part 2: The Winners!

Until next time,  

Nicole

I think this is a very good thing.

He gets to play with stuff, and I get to expose him to stuff that positively impacts his learning and growth. At age eight, he already is a discerning media consumer. He understands the power of advertising and fully appreciates a clever ad, like State Farm’s “State of Disbelief.” As a creator, he uses all manor of devices to express his ideas and connect with the world. From homemade videos to Scratch sprites to LEGOs, he’s a self-described builder. For the most part, life is pretty media-tastic in my home – with one exception:

My son will not sit through, go to, rent or stream a movie.

No Nemo, no Madagascar, no nada.

Many years ago, when he was barely three years of age, he had a traumatic movie-watching experience. Long story short, as part of its summer “fun” curriculum, his daycare sat his entire class in front of a TV screen for, unknown to parents, three out of five days per week. One afternoon, I arrived early to pick-up my son from school and found him cowering under a desk. Later that evening, he revealed that his “teachers” laughed at him for being scared. The daycare is no longer in business, but its impact has been long-lasting.

A few weeks ago, referencing a Kelly Clarkson song, my son reflected, “You know Mom, it’s really true... What doesn’t kill you DOES make you stronger.”

He should know.

To help overcome his fear of film, he has become an amateur film theorist.

Together, we have watched, or rather deconstructed, films (relying heavily on the mute and fast forward buttons.) He understands the concept of the hero’s journey, and intellectually knows that during the climax portion of a film, the protagonist has only two choices: success or death (metaphorically-speaking.) He also understands the power of music to elicit strong emotion. Intellectually, he can think critically about movies yet he still prefers to read the book. So we’ve come up with a work around.

Together, we like to create book soundtracks.

The more cinematic the better.

We work as a team (audio engineer and voiceover talent), to produce digital books. We bring stories to life by fusing words with sound. One day I hope to sit in a dark, cold theatre munching on popcorn with my son. Until then, our technologically enhanced reading experience is Awesomesauce! You can listen to an audio sample here.

How to HIGH TECH (creator):

1. Create your own book podcast. First, choose a book. The more suspenseful or animated the characters the better. Roald Dahl and Mo Willems books work really well. Next, download a music creation program/app. Our “go to” app is GarageBand. Open the music program, record the voice track then add an audio track.  And finally, export the final product to your music library.

2. Use a mobile app to write your own multimedia stories, create your own eBooks. There are lots of choices on the market. Book Creator and StoryKit (free) are well-rated.

3. Gather musical instruments in your home and as you read to your child, allow him to create music effects on the fly or, if you are musically inclined, have your child read and you get funky with the music.

How to LOW TECH (consumer):

1. Visit your local library and checkout books on CD. Children’s books often include sound effects. Our favorite titles include: Ferdinand, Chicka Chika Boom Boom, and Skippyjon Jones Lost in Spice.

2. Purchase a pre-produced book with audio, such as the Tag Reading System or download titles from an online vendor, such as Booktrack.

Yasmin is currently an academic technologist for Lowell School in Washington, D.C. An author of dozens of lesson plans for The New York Times Learning Network, she has been involved in film and media projects for more than fifteen years. Follow her on Twitter @yeisenhauer.

Work Cited: Dahl, Roald, and Quentin Blake. Fantastic Mr Fox. New York: Puffin, 2007. Print.

Tomorrow I am heading up to New York City to support the Project:Connect—Hacking for a Better Web Hackathon being held this Thursday, May 9. It will be a day filled with developers, designers, and educators creating social tools—including apps, badges, and curriculum—in pursuit of a better web. The social tools created will fall under three categories: social tools for social good, social tools that enable control of information, and social tools that enable literacy. It is a shared belief among the event sponsors, Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) being one of them, that ‘technology can advance a dialogue about what it means to participate responsibly in a digital world’.

We know not everyone can attend the event but fortunately, we’ll be hosting some of the hacks that come from Project:Connect on A Platform for Good. So, keep a look out in the coming weeks for new additions to the Resource Center borne out of this hackathon highlighting new ways to help young people make smart and responsible choices online.

Until next time (Look for my ‘after the hackathon’ post!),
Nicole 

P.S. To watch the hack unfold live on Twitter, follow @platformforgood and keep an eye out for #projectconnect.

We have some virtual present ideas that are sure to connect you:

Give some Good. The Platform for Good team created downloadable, printable coupons for you to give to Mom – from two hours of computer setup time to a tech-free afternoon spent with you, they are sure to put a smile on mom’s face.

Create an online scrapbook. Make a virtual scrapbook with baby pictures or old family photos and unveil it on Sunday for some fun time reminiscing.

Send an e-card. Maybe you’ve got a lot going on this week. Sending an e-card is an easy way to let Mom know you care.

Build a profile.  Make her a profile on social media if she doesn’t have one already. It’s a great way to stay connected with relatives. We created a coupon for that, too!

Celebrate online. Does Mom live too far away for a get-together on Sunday? Meet up online instead.  Skype, Google Hangouts, FaceTime are all great options!

Make a donation. Does she have a cause she cares about? Make an online donation in her name then email her the receipt or include it in her card. It’s a great way to make her feel special and to spread a little goodness in her honor.

Cover image courtesy of Flickr.

Until the Internet adopts a comprehensive system that parents can rely on, the best way for you to determine if you are comfortable allowing your child to visit a site is to visit the site yourself and take a look around. Here are some helpful tips:

• Review the Terms of Service to understand what content is allowed on the site. Does it include prohibitions against sexually explicit content? If not, that content may be available.

• If a site allows mature content, do they have protections in place minimizing the risk of exposure to minors? Protections would include tools such as a safe search filter and/or age gate to prevent access.

•  If the option is available, do a search within the site using explicit terms or the acronym "NSFW," meaning not safe for work. What's being returned? Were you able to easily find a significant amount of mature content even though the site prohibits it? If so, this is a good indication that the site may not take steps to enforce their terms.

•  Is there report abuse button for consumers to alert the site of potential violations? Report a violation to test the effectiveness of the tool.

You may notice, as you review some of the Terms of Service pages, that many sites that kids typically frequent often provide language within their Terms of Service stating that a user “must be at least 13 years of age.”  This can be misleading to parents as it insinuates that the content on the site is not appropriate for anyone under 13.  In actuality, the mention of age in these instances is based more on Federal Regulations and less on the nature of the content within the site. Essentially, 13 is the age in which a minor can create an account or sign up with a website without the involvement of a parent. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires websites to get parental consent before collecting or sharing information from children who are under 13 years old.

Now that you are familiar with COPPA, take advantage of it! Your child’s personal information is valuable and you can do even more to protect it. Visit OnGuardOnline to get great information on options for maximizing COPPA’s protections.

Cover image credit: © Ayeletkeshet | Dreamstime.com 

Diana is the Program Director, Global Consumer Policy & Child Safety for AOL. She has worked regularly with child protection and Internet Safety organizations such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, iSafe.org, and Connect Safely.org to ensure that information continues to be exchanged so that all sides stay current on developments and issues in the area of children online.

As a lawyer she also specializes in the Child Privacy Laws to ensure that whatever products or content that AOL develops targeted toward children is compliant with all Federal Regulations. Diana also blogs regularly on Safety Clicks, a resource for online families from AOL. 

Over the past few weeks there have been some incredible stories circulating the Web. In response to recent tragedy in Boston, it seems people all over the United States have taken to the Internet to help others recover.

People made online documents filled with offers of food and shelter, input information into databases to help locate friends and family, and even started message boards to deliver pizza and treats to fire departments and hospitals in the area. Strangers and people outside Boston started hashtags on Twitter and pages on Facebook, all to show solidarity and spread a little positivity in a time of misfortune.

But, people doing great things online hasn’t been (and doesn’t have to be) limited to these kinds of events. I read stories every day of people doing nice things with their technology, just because.

Teens have texted to raise money for hospitals and people have used social media to reunite lost pets with their owners. (If you still aren’t feeling inspired yet, here are 12 more stories just like these to help you feel the good!)

Anyone at any time can pay kindness forward. And, using technology to do it makes it easy and impactful. Around the world, over two billion people have Internet access and six billion people have cell phone subscriptions. That means there are a ton of opportunities to spread some serious virtual goodness!

What can you do to start a chain reaction of online awesomeness or make a digital difference? Tell us in the comment section below or on our Facebook page.

Cover image courtesy of Flickr.