Parents: Keep Kids Safe Online With BGCA #CyberSafe Initiative
I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for BGCA. I received a promotional item and Whish Body samples to facilitate my review.
Cyber safety is something that greatly concerns me. Being a Blogger has opened my eyes to all of the dangers that the internet holds. This is particularly true for teens and young children.
I have one teen, one preteen, and one elementary-aged child. I must admit that keeping up with the ever-increasing issues and trends on the internet that can harm kids is tough. Just because I have already raised one child into adulthood, does not mean that I’m an expert on the matter. I admit that I don’t know everything when it comes to the best practices for cyber safety for teens. And I am not afraid to seek help and advice.
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A resource that I have found to be a great one is the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) Cyber Safe Futures initiative. Its focus is to raise awareness on the importance of internet safety with parents as well as teens. As part of the BGCA #CyberSafe Initiative in partnership with Sprint, BGCA has assembled what they call a CyberTribe of expert teens. They are available online via a weekly Q&A to answer questions from parents like me on the issues that kids oftentimes face online. Things like cyberbullying, mobile device safety, online privacy and personal data sharing, especially on social networks.
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What I love about this resource is that not only is it free, but it also gives me an extra layer of support outside of simply talking to my children about protecting themselves on the internet. The BGCA #CyberSafe Initiative and their #CyberTribe is a place that I can trust to give me advice for my teens from a teen perspective, plus equip me and my kids with additional resources. I think that is great.
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Raising teens in the digital age is challenging. But having the knowledge, resources, and support to be #cybersafe can make things a whole lot easier. I am so grateful for Boys & Girls Clubs of America and their online CyberTribe! Just knowing that they’re available is a huge sigh of relief for me!
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If you have teens and pre-teens, check out the BGCA #CyberSafe Initiative on their website, and feel free to take part in the CyberTribe Q&A anytime. Right now, everyone who submits a question is entered for a chance to win an iPad mini and $500 to the Boys & Girls Club of the entrant’s choice!
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Talking to kids about online safety is the first step. But there are many more steps thereafter. With help from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the BGCA #CyberSafe Initiative, each and every teen can have a #cybersafe future.
To learn more about the BGCA #CyberSafe Initiative, visit the website. You can also connect with BGCA on YouTube.
BGCA #CyberSafe Initiative
Very cool and timely since it is Summer and a lot more extra time. Will check this out.
As the parent of an 11 year old who will be getting a cell phone and more Internet access, this is important stuff for me. Thanks for the information, I am bookmarking this. This is a must read while he is at sleep away camp!
I need to be ready!
Mitch
The internet is such a scary place for kids (in the parents’ eyes). Of course, the kids don’t think it’s bad at all. It’s so important we talk to them.
This worries me with my kids. I have them on a schedule during the summer so that they aren’t on the internet the entire time they’re out of school. 🙁
Thank you for sharing this.It is so important to make sure our kids are safe o the internet you ca never be too careful.
Very interesting – I will be checking them out in. Perfect for Caleb & Isa.
My kids are only 6 & 9, so obviously they are too young to be online right now, but I do worry about their safety when they get online when they are older.
This looks like a great and helpful initiative. It really is scary; we must help children and adolescents stay safe online.
Cyber safety is very important to us. Especially now that my son is old enough to do his own internet searches.
It has become so important to keep kids safe. A program like this will help.
This is such an important issue! I found some awful things in my 12 year old son’s search history. I felt so awful, like I had failed as a parent. It’s great to have resources like this!
An extra layer of support is always good, free is a bonus, Appreciate you sharing this with us!
Great initiative. I have a 13-yr-old so I can definitely relate to how hard it is to keep them safe among all the threats that keep popping up.
I don’t have any kids to worry about now, but I’ll be sharing with my friends. Thanks for the great resource.
You really just can’t be too cautious today. It’s a good idea to take measures like this.
As a teacher, I’m so glad this program exists!
This is a great post on an important topic. You can never be too careful with regards to internet safety.
Looks like a great website. A great source for today’s parents.
Internet safety is so so important and totally worries me. We really need to keep on top of things to keep our kids safe!
Great initiative! It’s good to see companies not only setting up programs, but making them ongoing so they can measure and adjust.
Cyber safety is a big issue. Seems like everyday a different friend is telling me how their online accounts got hacked.
I have a teen and a preteen, so I find this information to be very helpful! They definitely love being online, so that extra layer of protection is always appreciated!
No kids for me, but I definitely worry about cyber safety for my nieces and nephews– passing this article along!
A great resource for sure. Thanks for sharing this and helping to raise awareness!
Thanks for sharing this campaign! I love the Boys and Girls Club!
I have three myself. So anxious about keeping them safe 🙂
The Boys and girls Clubs are such a great resource in the communities. It’s nice that they are being a great resource online as well.
The Internet is a mixture of good and evil. Controlling the Internet with what it shows to the children can be a challenge that does not exist decades. I always make it a point that my computer has some kind of protection against malicious elements from the net. Thanks for the information and timely reminder, Makeba. 🙂
This is all too necessary these days. Kids are exposed to so much more these days. thanks for the information
So true that our kids need to be protected! I love that there’s an open Q&A
I think it is very important to find out what can help our children be safe. They’re dealing with technology every day as the norm, so I love that this initiative has a teen panel. Who better to help!
No kids of my own, but I certainly worried about cyber safety for my nieces and nephews. Thanks for sharing!
The tech changes so quickly it is hard for parents to keep up. It’s not just computers…..phones, video game consoles….our kids are connected everywhere. I think one of the best things you can do is talk to your kids. They are going to be exposed, the question is will they know how to be safe.
My tween is becoming more active online so this is a concern of mine. For sure something I will be checking out – thanks for sharing!
What a great initiative. I think kids feel way to safe behind computer screens and have no idea the real dangers out there.
the kids today are so tech advanced. it’s hard to stay on top of the protection
Kids have access to so much technology. It’s a blessing and a curse. You can’t be too cautious though.
It is great to have campaigns like this to help us keep our kiddos safe. Key word being “help”- it is up to us as parents to monitor and protect our babies!
My kids did not grow up online until they were in High school, well really my youngest. Facebook was just starting out. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to protect them.
My kids are still really little but I want to make sure that I can protect them when they are online. So scary!
What a great program for the boys and girls club to sponsor. My son is only 5 and we already have to talk to him about this!
I love this.I think this is such a great way to keep kids safe and parents involved. thank you for sharing
Technology is so ever changing. It’s so important to keep them as safe as we can with it.
I have a child that will be a preteen soon. Its so scary out there!
[…] Public schools and some afterschool programs like Boys & Girls Clubs may remain closed this summer to prevent the spread of the virus, and that means students have lost an important lifeline – a place to connect with friends and teachers, work on their social and emotional skills (which help kids achieve success in areas like academics, arts, leadership and service) and access a typical learning experience. In this segment, parents can take some valuable cues and gain advice to help their kids from a youth development expert from Boys & Girls Clubs of America. […]