Techie in Primary

Promotional Poster Copyright belongs to the film's distributor Image source:  http://www.impawards.com/tv/social_dilemma.html The Power of Social Media The internet has been a frontier for new forms of communication and connection. Now social media has become a permanent fixture in our daily lives and its influence is felt in nearly all daily activities.  We can establish communities, enhance our knowledge, and even find lasting companionship through various social media platforms.   However, all new frontiers come with inherent risks and pitfalls. Social media is very captivating and these companies are getting very rich off of its users.  These themes are explored in the 2020 Netflix docu-drama The Social Dilemma . This is a film that looks to unpack the darker side of social media. Using a combination of testimonials, expert commentary, and dramatic reenactments, it delivers its message at a time when social media’s influence is undeniable. What's the Message?...

Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages is marked  CC BY-NC 4.0 CIPA and COPPA There are several federal laws that work together in an effort to keep children safe online. One is the Children's Internet Privacy Act, or CIPA. CIPA works to protect children from accessing obscene and harmful content on the internet by requiring schools and libraries to use internet filters. This law is tied to federal funding - in order for an institution to continue receiving federal funds that help pay for Internet and hardware, they have to use internet filters. I think that this law is effective in helping keep our students safe. At my school district we use Securly as a web filter in our schools. We have found this to be effective in catching students trying to access inappropriate content online. Another aspect of CIPA is  the  Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act which states that schools have extra requirements: "they must provide for educating minors about appropriate online...