Yesterday, the FCC held the Generation Mobile forum, which brought together teens, parents, educators and experts to discuss the opportunities and challenges around mobile technology use (Read about it on the FCC’s blog or the NYT‘s Bits blog).
If you have kids, you’re most likely aware that cell phones are increasingly prevalent in their lives, which then raises concerns about privacy invasions, cyberbullying, sexting, and addictive behavior. Some statistics were offered:
- 12% of teens can have a cell phone at school at all times
- 63% of teens say they’ve sent a text message in class
- 43% of kids have sent mean messages via text
- 33% of teens have received a sext message
The event is a timely reminder that technology can be very empowering, but it requires savviness and, at times, some caution.
As the cable industry has become a leader in delivering broadband to 42 million consumers, we’ve also taken on the responsibility to help parents and teachers educate our children how they can be smart and safe in this increasingly complex digital world. Cable in the Classroom, the cable industry’s education foundation, is leading this effort; yesterday, they re-launched their website, which better represents their new focus on digital citizenship.
What is digital citizenship?
Digital citizenship brings Internet safety and security together with digital literacy, ethical behavior and civic engagement in a holistic package of curricular resources, lesson plans, activities, and research.
This concept of digital citizenship is a new one and CIC is working closely with the experts in the field to help define this idea and help deliver the resources that teachers and parents need to instill it in children.
FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn applauded CIC’s focus saying that:
The inclusion of a Digital Citizenship initiative is another step in the right direction, as the awareness of essential online techniques is crucial as more and more children and new users venture into the connected universe.
Working together, we can make our children responsible citizens in our newly digital world.