BRIER CREEK, N.C.(WNCN) — Be internet awesome and internet smart. That was the lesson for students at Brier Creek Elementary Friday as they learned how to navigate the internet.
“Technology and the internet, it can be such a powerful, useful thing that they can use in their education. It can also be, you know, people can do not so good things on the internet,” said MJ Henshaw, a Google public affairs manager visiting the students.
She and her team are taking an interactive approach to showing young children basic internet skills.
“Having a good password, being kind online, making sure you know what you’re sharing, so hopefully they can take these and use the internet for a good thing in their life,” Henshaw said.
Congresswoman Deborah Ross also joined students, taking part in the lesson herself. She says this is a topic Congress is studying and working to tackle.
“I think it’s one thing to deal with the policy. It’s another thing to have direct contact with the kids,” Ross said.
She hopes these students can learn how to stay away from shady characters online.
“They are very trusting and they’re very open and they want to explore so much. But, there are so many people on the internet who want to do them harm,” she explained.
Studies show the average teen spends more than five hours on the Internet a day. That access is often in the palm of their hand. It’s why experts say these safety talks are important to have early and often.
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Google’s Online Safety Roadshow is part of the company’s initiative to help empower young people to safely explore online.
“I have nieces who are two-years-old who can use technology better than I do. So parents need to start while they’re young to just start teaching them basic things,” Henshaw said.
These lessons are not just useful today but in the future too.