Webinars: Media Literacy & Digital Safety

BUILD A SAFE & HEALTHY DIGITAL LIFE:
GET SMART, FIND BALANCE, BE SAFE

Join Us! Learn About Social Media Tools and Trends, Get Digital Parenting Tips

Our Monthly Webinars & Podcasts

Diana Graber from Cyberwise and I, Dr. Pamela Rutledge, tackle your questions about the impact of technology on kids, parents, families, and, well, all of us!  Learn the psychology behind media behaviors and get tips on how to keep your kids safe!

Join us for CyberChats every month, free, 12 noon PT.  Live-streamed on Facebook and now available as podcasts.  Register at Cyberwise.org to get the Zoom link and handy reminders.   Please send your questions or topic ideas using the contact form.

To see all of our Cyberwise Chats, please visit: https://www.cyberwise.org/cyberwisechats

Subscribe to my Substack newsletter Digital Brains & Behavior at http://drpam.substack.com  to get notifications of upcoming webinars and new articles.

UPCOMING TOPICS:

  • Why Your Kids Should Learn to Code Now!
  • Digital Literacy for Neurodiverse Kids
  • Managing Digital Reputations

Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, Exclusion, Hate Speech... problems that originate online are increasingly coming to school and disrupting the learning environment. Oftentimes, parents look to already overwhelmed teachers to solve these problems. But adding one more thing the the long list of priorities teachers already have is a tall order. So how can teachers, and parents, nip social media problems in the bud and keep them from spilling into the school day? In this Chat we offer answers, and solutions, as well as the results of our teacher survey on this issue. 

AI is Everywhere: What Does It Mean for Kids?

Tuesday, June 20, 2023, 12 noon PT

New Laws Ban Teens From Social Media: Will They Work?

Utah SB 152 requires that all residents under the age of 18 have parental consent in order to create an account. Additionally, users under the age of 18 are banned from all qualifying social media platforms between 10:30 pm and 6:30 am. Arkansas became the second state to enact a similar ban, prohibiting social media companies from allowing Arkansas residents under 18 years of age from holding accounts without parental consent. Lawmakers in other states are considering similar legislation.

During this Cyberwise Chat, we discussed the effectiveness of this approach at keeping kids safe from the threats many of us fear: the mental health impact of social media, powerful algorithms that keep users engaged, cyberbullying and hate speech, online predators, exposure to inappropriate content, misinformation, and more.

Our special guest was Dino Ambrosi, founder of Project Reboot, a program designed to help teens reset their tech habits and build relationships with technology that empower them. Ambosi designed this program at UC Berkeley due to his personal challenges with technology, which he'll share with us during this Chat.

 

Kids & Screens: Can We Help Them Strike a Balance?

Kids are spending more time with screens than ever, and worried parents are wondering if we have reached the point of no return. Can we help kids strike a balance between screen time and all the other important things in their young lives? We think so, and we explore how. We were joined for this chat by Amy Webster and Amina Mohamoud, the Youth Engagement Director and Coordinator of "LiveMore ScreenLess," a nonprofit that partners with school communities to promote and advocate for digital wellbeing, which is defined as balanced, intentional and effective use of technology.

ChatGPT: A New Way to Learn? Or a New Way to Cheat?

ChatGPT — the popular new A.I chatbot that can write essays, solve complex problems, do homework, and more — has sent many parents and educators into a panic. They believe students will use this tool to cheat, or worse, that students will never learn to write or think for themselves all. Some school districts have even banned the use of ChatGPT altogether. In this Cyberwise Chat, Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Center, and Diana Graber, founder of Cyberwise and Cyber Civics, and author of “Raising Humans in a Digital World” chat about whether or not this will change education as we know it, if this change is for better or for worsens, most importantly, what parents can do now to prepare their kids for a brave new (online) world. See/Listen to all of our Cyberwise Chats here: https://www.cyberwise.org/cyberwisechats

Don't Just "Wait Until 8th"-- Educate

A popular “Wait Until 8th" campaign encourages parents to band together and agree to delay giving children a smartphone until at least 8th grade. While there are some advantages to this approach, in this Cyberwise Chat we discussed if there might be a better way to prepare kids to use technology safely, wisely, and productively. Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Center, and Diana Graber, Founder of Cyberwise and Cyber Civics, were joined by two 8th-grade teacher, Soni Albright and Joshua Berman, to discuss the importance of onboarding.

My Child's Best Friend is a Media Character

From Disney characters to YouTubers and Instagram celebrities, kids can develop deep emotional connections with media personalities and characters. These “parasocial relationships” are one-sided but to the kids, the media characters can feel like real friends, influencing everything a real friend does, from product purchases and interest in social causes to feelings of belonging and self-worth. In this Cyberwise Chat we discuss the positives and negatives of parasocial relationships and how they change as kids age. We also explain how you can help your kids recognize and navigate these tricky relationships.  Diana Graber and Dr. Pam Rutledge are joined by Kids' Media Expert, CJ Lindsey.

Behind Their Screens: What Kids are REALLY Doing Online

As parents, we worry, but what do we really know about what our kids are doing online? In this Cyberwise Chat, Dr. Pamela Rutledge from the Media Psychology Research Center and author Diana Graber from Cyberwise/Cyber Civics welcome special guests Dr. Carrie James and Dr. Emily Weinstein, who actually talked to real kids to find out what they are doing online and why. What they learned is the subject of their new book Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing and Adults are Missing. Dr. James is a sociologist, and Dr. Weinstein is a psychologist, both are researchers and Principal Investigators at Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and lecturers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. October 18 @ 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm, Zoom & Facebook Live

The Best Way to Keep Kids Safe Online? Build  Resilience

Digital kids face all kinds of online pressures and challenges, from cyberbullying to sexting, counting social media “likes,” to trying to look “perfect” online. The one skill that can help them withstand these pressures is resiliency. In this Cyberwise Chat, Dr. Pamela Rutledge from the Media Psychology Research Center, author Diana Graber from Cyberwise/Cyber Civics, and kids media expert CJ Lindsey from “The Parents Guide to What Kids Watch” explained how to help kids build the resiliency they need to be safe and wise online.

September 15, 2022, 12 Noon PT

Sextortion on the Rise? What Parents Need to Know

Just recently we learned of two heartbreaking cases of high school boys taking their own lives due to "sextortion." This is is a form of blackmail in which the attacker threatens to send intimate images or videos of the victim to others if they do not pay them or give them additional images or video. Although this can happen to anyone of any age or gender, attackers tend to target younger victims and in March of this year, the FBI warned of an increase in sextortion cases targeting young boys. In this Chat, we were joined by Our special guest online safety expert Darren Laur, aka "The White Hatter," to explain how parents can protect their children from falling for this particular online scam.

Digital Literacy: The Key to Success at Every Age

Teaching youth how to stay safe online is important, but it is not nearly enough. Online life is complex and the list of topics kids should know about and understand includes everything from misinformation, disinformation, sexting, cyberbullying, deep fakes, stereotypes, plagiarism, web search, personal information, copyright, and much more. Digital literacy IS today’s literacy and kids unequipped with it are woefully unprepared for digital life. In this webinar we’re going to chat about how kids can learn digital literacy to be successful at all ages. We’re very excited to welcome special guest Dino Ambresi, a self-described ex-social media addict with a mission to help others build healthy relationships with their devices. He’s going to talk about the digital literacy course he designed and teaches at the University of California at Berkeley. You’ll also hear about Cyber Civics, our own middle school digital literacy curriculum from founder Diana Graber. And Dr. Pamela Rutledge will talk about its roots in Media Psychology which she teaches at the college level. Finally, CJ Lindsey, who has led digital strategies for DC Comics, Cartoon Network, Sesame Street, Harry Potter, and others, will talk about the foundational digital literacy skills young kids are gleaning from their favorite programs.

Parasocial Relationships: Good or Bad for You?

Kids & Screen Time: How Much Is Too Much?

Just when you thought kids couldn't possibly spend more time with screens, a new study from Common Sense Media finds screen time is up 17% for tweens and teens since the start of the pandemic. And that doesn’t include time spent attending school virtually and doing homework. In this Chat, we dive into the different ways kids use screens and address the million-dollar question: How much is too much? We’re excited to be joined by two guests who each have a unique solution to helping kids curb time with screens. 

 

The Why on Newsy: The Appeal of Social Media

Dr. Pamela Rutledge talks with Newsy on The Why about the appeal of social media use and the importance of finding a healthy balance.

The Why on Newsy: What Makes Influencers so Influential?

Why Do Kids Want to Be on Snapchat?

It's Not All Dance Videos: Kids Need Strategies for Dealing With What They See On Social Media

Clips from April 28, 2022 Smart Social panel.

Kids, War, and TikTok: What Parents Need to Know

If you think TikTok is just a fun, lip-synching, dancing app, think again. Millions of young people getting real-time information—sometimes quite graphic— about the war in Ukraine from the platform. Some posts have earned millions of likes and hundreds of thousands of comments. Even the White House has taken note of TikTok as a prominent news source about the war, recently inviting 30 top TikTok influencers to a press briefing in order to provide them with key information to inform their content. Watch this Cyberwise Chat with Dr. Pamela Rutledge of the Media Psychology Research Center and Diana Graber of Cyberwise to find out what your children are learning about war on TikTok. Watch all of our Chats on: https://www.cyberwise.org/cyberwisechats or listen to the Cyberwise Chats Podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

Social Media Dangers: How Can We Make It Safer for Kids?

Along with exciting and positive ways of connecting, social media also exposes youth to new risks—like cyberbullying, sexting, misinformation, political polarization, inappropriate content, predators, mining of personal information, possible impact on self-esteem, and more. Most parents are aware of these risks but are less knowledgeable about what they can do to make social media safer. In this chat we discuss how all stakeholders—parents, schools, policymakers, and tech companies—can work together to mitigate social media risks and make connecting safer for our kids. We were very excited to welcome special guest David Ryan Polgar, Founder and Executive Director of All Tech Is Human. David is a pioneering tech ethicist who paved the way for the current debates around tech ethics, digital citizenship, and what it means to be human in the digital age.

Teens and Dating in the Digital Age

For many teens during the pandemic, the only option to maintain and forge new relationships with their peers has been via their devices. This includes romantic relationships. Understandably, teens are flirting, “dating,” and even meeting potential partners online. In this chat, Diana Graber and Dr. Pamela Rutledge talk about what parents can do to ensure their kids have safe and healthy online relationships. We cover the most popular dating apps, talk about “sexting,” and give tips on how parents can talk to teens about their online relationships. We were very excited to welcome our special guest, graduate student Taylor Blatchford, who is also the founder of Text2Regret to share her personal story and first-hand experience with this topic.

What the Heck is the Metaverse and Should You Let Your Children Go There?

When Facebook rebranded itself as “Meta” last October, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to develop a massive “metaverse.” Broadly, this will be an immersive digital world accessed through virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (VR) devices. Still confused? Think “Ready Player One"! What the "metaverse" means for the youngest and most vulnerable potential users—children—is the topic of this Cyberwise Chat with Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Diana Graber, and special guest Sean Herman, Founder and CEO of Kinzoo.

What's On Your Child's List? Are They Ready for the Hottest Tech Gifts?

From an iPhone to Nintendo Switch, a tablet to a smartwatch, what's on your child's wishlist? And more importantly, is your child ready for the responsibility many of these tech gifts demand? Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Center, and Diana Graber, author of "Raising Humans in a Digital World: Helping Kids Build a Healthy Relationship with Technology," answer your questions about tech-readiness and how to prepare your child for the gadgets they're wishing for.

Is Instagram Really Destroying Your Child's Self-Esteem?

A Wall Street Journal article titled, “Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show,” reports that “(f)or the past three years, Facebook has been conducting studies into how its photo-sharing app affects its millions of young users.” Facebook’s own researchers “found that Instagram is harmful for a sizable percentage of them, most notably teenage girls.” In this Chat, Dr. Pamela Rutledge and Diana Graber discuss these findings, take a dive into the research, and most importantly, help parents know what to do to safeguard their social media-using children's self-esteem.

TikTok & Gen Z: From Viral Dance Videos to Social Media Activism

When parents think of TikTok, usually viral dance videos come to mind. However, platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter are being used by Gen Z — youth born after 1996 —to revolutionize activism. At just the click of a button, they can start a movement… like TikTok users who helped sabotage a Trump rally when they coordinated to register for tickets and did not show up, or young Indonesians who used the app to protest labor law reforms. And following George Floyd's murder, there was a surge in Black Lives Matter videos on all of these social media apps.

Diana Graber, Founder of Cyberwise/Cyber Civics, Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Center were joined by special guest Dr. Brooke Foucault Welles, co-author of  #Hashtag Activism: Networks of Race and Gender Justice" and address the fascinating transformation of how kids use social media.

OMG! You Won't Believe What Kids Are Clicking On

Did our clickbait headline get your attention? We hope so! In this Cyberwise Chat, Dr. Pamela Rutledge of the Media Psychology Research Center, Rick Andreoli of Parentology, and Diana Graber of Cyberwise tackle the topic of clickbait and misinformation. Kids today are exposed to all sorts of online information that's downright untrue, and unarmed with media literacy skills, they can fall for (and share!) headlines designed to grab their attention.

Kids and Online Porn: What Parents Need To Know


In this Cyberwise Chat, Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Rick Andreoli, and Diana Graber provide information on how to protect kids from online pornography.

Post Pandemic Reboot: Helping Kids With the Return to "Normal."

During this post-pandemic return to “normal,” kids need parents to help them re-learn how to balance screen time with real life, understand how to use technology mindfully and safely and, most of all, help them manage the anxiety and stress many have (and will) suffer during this transition. Watch Diana Graber of Cyberwise, Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Center, and Rick Andreoli, Editor-In-Chief of Parentology tackle these topics.

Parents: Get the Lowdown on Instagram

In this interactive webinar, we discussed parental concerns about Instagram. Here are some things that top the list: Data collection, access to inappropriate content (pornography, violence, fake news, dangerous challenges, etc.), a "compare and despair" atmosphere, possible links to anxiety and depression, and more. On top of all this, Facebook is reportedly planning to build a version of the app for the under-13 set. Good idea or bad idea?  Although the headline is a bit of a spoiler, see my article Instagram Issues Can’t Be Fixed with a ‘Kid-Friendly’ App

Chat Apps: Clubhouse, Omegle and More

Clubhouse is one of the newest on the block, what about it is making is so popular, so fast? And Omegle has been around for a while, why the sudden resurgence in interest? Is it safe for kids? What other chat apps are kids using now and why? In this April 6, 2021 Tech Talk Tuesday webinar, we discussed these apps (and more).  Take a look!

When Cancel Culture Turns into Cyberbullying

Teens might use the phrase “you’re canceled” in jest, but some are taking it a step farther and actually blocking, unfollowing, and boycotting peers on social media (and in real life) because of a personal opinion or for simply saying/doing something disagreeable. First used as a way to target celebrities—i.e., #TaylorSwiftIsOverParty​—“Cancel Culture” has made its way into classrooms and into teen peer groups. This new form of cyberbullying has many parents concerned about how it’s affecting their kids. In this Cyberwise Chat, Diana Graber and Dr. Pamela Rutledge talk to Rick Andreoli, Editor-In-Chief of Parentology, about “Cancel Culture” and everything parents should know to protect their children from this disturbing new trend.

Kids Love TikTok Challenges!
What Parents Need to Know.

From the "Cereal Challenge" to the "Penny Challenge," the "Blackout Challenge" and more, viral challenges born and spread on the popular app, TikTok, range from silly to downright dangerous. In this Tech Topic Chat, Dr. Pamela Rutledge and Diana Graber talk to Parentology's Editor-in-Chief, Rick Andreoli about some of the most outrageous TikTok Challenges, and what parents should know about them.

Deplatformed: What Does it Mean to be a Good Digital Citizen?

Current events are providing incredible teachable moments. In this chat, Dr. Pamela Rutledge and Diana Graber talk about how to refer to capital riots, Twitter happenings, and more when talking to kids about how their online behavior can have offline consequences.

Flourishing with Technology in 2021 and Beyond

2020 is gone, but COVID is still here. That means many of us are still relying on tech--for learning, work, and socialization. Listen to this Cyberwise Chat to find out what tech tools your family can use to thrive in 2021.

Is Your Child Ready for a Smartphone?

Whether it's a gift-giving occasion or not, parents ask: Is my child ready for a cellphone?  Diana Graber and Dr. Pamela Rutledge help you answer this burning question.