Digital Citizenship Resources for Families

May 28, 2019 | Susan Messier
digital citizenship

During the summer months, when students might enjoy more time and freedom to explore their digital lives, we want to take this opportunity to reboot conversations about safety and ethical usage. Our mission inspires us to remain curious about the world and also act with the compassion that world needs. You can also familiarize yourself with our Technology Use Policy here. We are highlighting the following resources to further support healthy digital character development and discussion:

  • Common Sense Media: a comprehensive website for families’ healthy technology use, topics for parents include such issues as mental health, character development, screen time guidelines, cell phone parenting, and safety.
  • Tech Talk Tuesdays by Screenagers: Overlake has previously run a screening of the documentary film “Screenagers,” which dives deep into the technology and the social lives of adolescents. Their Tech Talk Tuesdays blog has many useful resources for your information. One important suggestion from this film revolves around creating a Home Technology Policy – you can read some of their resources here.
  • Netsmartz: run by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, this site offers content for youth of all ages and their parents on a variety of topics. Discussion starter questions are included under each topic.
  • Net Cetera Parent Booklet: This is a booklet form of the parenting resources available through the OnGuardOnline program managed by the Federal Trade Commission. The student form of the booklet, Head's Up Booklet, is used in the 5th grade at Overlake.

There are many topics that you can use from the above to have conversations tailored to your child and your family values. While many of those topics might be issues we have a worry or concern about, we also want to promote family discussion about all the great places we can live online. We hope parents and children can share the amazing expanse of the world that technology allows us. 

If you have any further questions about our technology services, feel free to contact Jay Heath, Director of Technology through e-mail at jheath@overlake.org.

For questions our Personal Counselors can answer, please contact Susan Essex at sessex@overlake.org or Pauline Salgado at psalgado@overlake.org.