It’s never too early to start teaching your child about cyber safety. In honor of Data Privacy Day on January 28, we’re taking the time to talk about the importance of cyber safety and highlight some of the educational resources CTC has to offer!
What is Data Privacy Day?
The non-profit organization National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) created Data Privacy Day in order to raise awareness about how people’s data are being collected, used, and shared. With this awareness, NCSA hopes to encourage adults and children to evaluate their online activity and tighten security when needed.
What does this have to do with kids? According to the NCSA, more than 33% of parents with a child under 12 say that their child has used a smartphone before the age of 5. Additionally, 1 in 5 parents of children under 12 say that their child has their own smartphone. In this age of constant connectivity, it’s more important than ever to teach kids how to stay safe online.
Cyber City Book Series
Even once you understand the importance of teaching your kids about cyber safety, it can be confusing to figure out where to start, especially with very young children. That’s why we’ve created a children’s book series on cybersecurity! Our Cyber City children’s books use fun characters and engaging illustrations to make the abstract concept of cyber safety accessible for children.
Cyber City is led by Digital Dan, who represents the data cloud. He and his friends Appi Alex, Smartphone Savi, and Padlock Picasso each have their own books centered around different aspects of cyber safety: Appi Alex focuses on different educational apps and how to decide which apps are safe, Savannah’s Smartphone focuses on smartphone security, and Padlock Picasso is all about creating an effective password and keeping it secret. These books are intended for children in pre-school and lower elementary school. Ready to buy your own set? Check them out here!
Important Cyber Safety Dates
Do you want to continue to increase your awareness of cybersecurity past Data Privacy Day? Save these other important dates in the world of cyber safety!
- Safer Internet Day: February 8, 2022
- National Clean Out Your Computer Day: February 14, 2022
- CTC’s Virtual Summer Boot Camp: July/August 2022 (keep an eye out for more information on this!)
- Online Learning Day: September 15, 2022
- National Cybersecurity Awareness Month: October 2022
Talking Points
Cybersecurity is an important issue that affects young children. However, it can be difficult to know how to approach the topic at home or at school, and it’s also challenging to put into words that kids can understand. To start a conversation about cyber safety with your children, partner, or your child’s teacher, keep these talking points in mind!
- To introduce the Cyber City books to your child’s teacher: “What resources do you have for teaching cyber safety? It can be hard to find resources for younger students, so here are some children’s books we love!”
- To talk about cyber safety with your child: “You use the internet a lot for school and for fun, so it’s important to make sure we stay safe online. I found some books about a cool place called Cyber City, where all the characters are there to teach us how to stay safe. Which of these books do you want to read first?
- To make a plan about teaching cyber safety with your partner or co-parent: “What are your biggest concerns about our kids’ online safety? What do you think the most effective approach might be for teaching cybersecurity skills?
