14 DAY TRIAL // The Internet is a wonderful place, but it can also be a dangerous one to be in, especially for children. That's why Google has launched a new project called Be Internet Awesome, which seeks to teach children to make smart decisions online.
Most of us got at least a few decades to live our lives offline, or, at the very least, without social networks around. Kids nowadays will live their entire lives in cyberspace, leaving traces behind them as they go, which makes it that much more important that they know how to be safe online.
Be Internet Awesome is a program that helps children learn about the dangers of the online world and how to protect themselves. The project involves clever online games, as well as lengthy curriculum for teachers and school and videos for parents to watch alongside kids.
Play and learn
"Interland" takes the kids through four mini games. Tower of Treasure, for instance, helps kids learn how to create strong passwords, while Reality Rever presents 10 multiple choice questions that help them identify who and what to trust when they're online. Kind Kingdom takes on the job of educating kids on trolling and being nice on the Internet, which is extremely welcome given the online bullying phenomenon. Mindful Mountain, the last of the games, puts the focus on how important it is to share information with only a handful of people you trust and not just anyone online.
The games are fun and created in such a way that they're also educational. Google created this entire platform after teaming up with online safety organizations Family Online Safety Institute, the Internet Keep Safe Coalition and ConnectSafely.
Hopefully, with the help of these tools, educators, parents, and children will all learn how to speak clearly of the dangers we all encounter online and how to protect ourselves from those who mean to scam us in some way or another.
