Talk About How Your Child's Behavior Online Affects Themselves and Others

Your child is learning how their behavior online can affect themselves and others. Use these questions to talk with them about what it means to be their best selves online.

Ask these three questions:

1. I hear you learned about the Rings of Responsibility in school. Can you tell me about them?

• Listen for:

• Self: Responsibilities you have to yourself, such as keeping yourself safe and healthy.
• Community: Responsibilities you have to your community. This includes the people you know well, like friends and family, and people you might not know as well, like a clerk in a grocery store.
• World: Responsibilities to the larger world, including people you don't know but who might be affected by your actions.

2. What are some things we value in our family? Are there any similarities to the Rings of Responsibility?
3. How could you use the Rings of Responsibility to help you think through the choices you make when you're online?

Talk About How Your Child Can Find a Healthy Balance with Technology

Your child is learning to reflect on their habits when it comes to using media like TV shows, movies, apps, or video games. Use these questions to talk with them about how they define media balance for themselves.

Ask these three questions:

1. I hear you learned about media balance at school. What is that?

• Listen for:

• Using media and technology in a way that feels healthy and in balance with other life activities (family, friends, school, hobbies, etc.).

2. How are some media choices more healthy or less healthy than others (for example, how they affect sleep, activity/movement, emotions)?
3. What do you think healthy media balance looks like for our family? What are the different kinds of activities, both online and offline, that you would want to do on a given day? Week?

Talk About How Your Child Can Be Safe on the Internet

Your child is learning how to stay safe when they go online, with guidance from the Digital Citizens characters. Use these questions to talk with them about the responsibilities that come with having a device and being online.

Ask these three questions:

1. I hear you watched a video in school about the Digital Citizen character Guts. What were some mistakes Guts made in the video?

• Listen for:

• Not using a safe password.
• Not taking care of their device.
• Sharing a picture of someone without asking permission first.

2. Can you think of a time when you made a mistake? What happened? What did you learn?
3. How can you learn from the mistakes Guts made and be a super digital citizen at home or at school?

Talk About How Your Child Can Keep Online Interactions Fun and Friendly

Your child is learning how to keep their online games, texts, and other interactions fun and healthy. Use these questions to talk with them about how to stay positive online and avoid risky situations.

Ask these three questions:

1. I hear you watched a video about some kids who were playing an online game. Can you tell me about the video? What happened?
2. How do you (or your friends) interact with others online? Does it look different if it's a group text versus an online game or social media, etc.?
3. What are some ways you can keep online interactions fun and friendly?

• Listen for:

• Be kind to people you interact with.
• Report and/or block someone who is being mean or disruptive.
• Avoid strangers online if they make you feel uncomfortable.

Talk About How Your Child Can Respond When They See Cyberbullying

Your child is learning what to do when they see something online that makes them feel hurt, sad, angry, or fearful. Use these questions to talk with them about how to build empathy for others and learn strategies to use when confronted with cyberbullying.

Ask these three questions:

1. I hear you learned in school about a strategy for what to do if someone is being mean online. Can you tell me what S-T-O-P stands for?

• Listen for:

• S: Step away.
• T: Tell a trusted adult.
• O: OK sites only.
• P: Pause and think.

2. Why do you think it's important to show empathy toward others and imagine what they might be feeling?
3. Who are the trusted adults you can talk to if you see something online that makes you uncomfortable? (Give kids a few options besides you.)