Digital Smarts: Protecting Your Online Reputation and Safety

Gr 7 Up—Teens growing up in a digital world face a myriad of new challenges. This comprehensive production presents both the risks and the opportunities that social media offers for teens, with an emphasis on being mindful of our digital footprints. Well-organized chapters range from tagging on Facebook, sexting, password protection, and online phishing to ways that our online identity can enhance our reputation. The male narrator is young and hip, bringing the right amount of seriousness to the topic. His points are elaborated on by two knowledgeable experts, co-founders of Cyberwise (a website that offers free materials that show how and why it pays to be cyber wise). Most effectively, the producers use vignettes from the experiences of a diverse group of teens who, through their personal stories, bring an authenticity and freshness to the production. While most teens may feel that there's nothing new presented here, instructors could use this well-organized program to effectively scaffold classroom dialogue. Rather than watching it straight though, use it as a jumping-off point for richer discussions and as a practical how-to for creating secure passwords or setting privacy settings.—Meg Allison, Moretown School, VT