29.10.2020

Beacon Talks proposes a reflection on safe choices in the online environment

Beacon Talks addressed the importance of guiding children and young people to surf the internet safely. The guest was Rodrigo Nejm, Doctor in Social Psychology and Educational Director at SaferNet Brasil, who spoke with Beacon’s Educational Technology coordinator Zilda Kessel.

Nejm introduced the subject with an appeal to the need to demystify the term ‘digital natives’, created from the belief that children and adolescents were born ready and able to use the internet. “They are what we call digital assets, in the sense that they use the internet for many hours a day, but we can never confuse their instrumental use with another dimension and capacity for critical use, maturity, discernment, and perception of risks”, he explains.

According to him, these young people are not yet ready for the digital and will only have critical, social, and emotional skills if adults, as a society, instill values ​​of ethics and citizenship to new generations. The role of parents is to encourage them to make good choices. “What we have been doing with many families is to condense the rules from the first access. We should add time, content, and context to the care to observe how we react to each of these topics. This is what we call renegotiating our digital routines.” 

Nejm also suggests that parents mediate their children’s digital lives, by monitoring and sharing the use of social networks, reflecting that excessive navigation can lead to serious consequences, and adapting and limiting the time of use when necessary. According to him, this type of exchange is much simpler and cheaper than opting for parental control technologies.

Another issue raised during the ¨Live” is offenses and bullying. “If you received a comment on the internet that is considered cyberbullying, you need to report it to the social network. Instagram has this feature, so does Tik Tok, and several other networks also have this support. Young people are afraid to share this with their parents, as it can lead to restrictions on the use of the internet, and that is why it is important to open this communication channel with parents or guardians.”

Zilda ended the “Live” by reflecting on Beacon’s curriculum, which highly values ​​the tripod of giving voice, giving choices, and giving authorship to students. “Parents are our partners as well as students. Each family has a rule, some with higher restrictions on the use of the internet, others less. Therefore, this partnership during the pandemic is essential. ”

Click HERE to watch the “Live” on Beacon School’s YouTube.