Living and Working Online

The internet is an open book, which is why students need to be taught how to make safe decisions when using it.

Just like how children are taught how to ride a bike, color within the lines, or do addition, internet safety needs to be taught. One of the biggest risks of not teaching internet safety is students not being able to handle the internet when left to their own devices. Online games such as Roblox raise the issue of cyberbullying, which turns innocent gaming into a harrowing experience. When students are young and haven’t yet been taught the dangers of cyberbullying, it exposes children to an evil that they don’t know how to avoid. Internet safety has also been recently expanded to include AI, as it is a new battlefield for students. AI is also a whole other issue in itself, as AI has also changed how students either do or don’t do their work. Even at the elementary level, students are beginning to learn how to use AI to “get out of learning”. While I do see how AI could have some benefits for students and teachers alike, I think AI poses a risk too great to seek any of the benefits that could be received. Information about these technological aspects needs to be provided as soon as students begin using either Chromebooks or tablets at school.

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Creating activities and lessons about personal online security or about preventing cyberbullying would be a great way to begin introducing this vital technological content.