I have 2 pre-teen girls at home, and after all the Netflix series about online scams (like The Tinder Swindler) I've got really concerned about growing them realizing the pitfalls of the Internet and social media. They've read A Smart Girl's Guide: Digital World (as part of the series) – they liked it, but it's more for kids and they already want to be "adults". Then, I gave them 10 Clues You Leave Online – that was a hit, they liked it, and they actually did all the tasks there, but then I tried to find more books for teens from the same author or similar to this one and didn't have any success. So I'm looking for books recommendations on digital literacy, specifically for teens or pre-teens (not for parents), and preferably that they'd be in a detective style.
Thank you in advance.
by Healthy-Beat-2652
2 Comments
My sister is really transparent with my nieces who are 7 and 8. Appropriate but open. I noticed my niece on a video call had already understood consent and what a camera on a phone means. My sister was chatting to me and of course I supervise my nieces bathing etc often as I babysit. There isn’t any lack of trust. But my niece already understands the idea of being careful. My sister went up to say I am on the phone and does she want to say hello and tell me her news and when my sister walked in with the camera she said ‘wait mommy no camera I don’t have my pyjamas on yet’. And my sister said sorry then and said she should have checked first and don’t worry it wasn’t on the camera.
Two things there. Consent and understanding. Sometimes honesty is best in an appropriate way. They need to understand stranger danger for teenagers and preteens. It’s so important. It’s not something to instil fear or make a point of things, but more to just understand that your body, your finances and your emotions should be protected and you have the tools to do that on the internet if you know how to spot red flags. It’s the same as being able to use anatomical terms without shame or embarrassment, and understanding of what is okay and what isn’t when it comes to showing your body and consent. Kids are targeted online. It’s the way it is on the internet. They need the tools to tell you if they feel they are at risk and also to recognise when they are being scammed/groomed/putting themselves in danger. It’s so important to just say things as they are in a sensitive and appropriate way.
My thought is that if your preteen(!!) kids have already read, without big reluctance, two whole books about this, you’re doing great.
Already, they are way more prepared than most peers. They have a good foundation and are (I bet) smart enough to keep building on it + generalize its principles to other situations.
For recommendations, I suggest
– Want to go Private, Sarah Darer Littman
– Sun signs, Shelley Hrdlitschka
– Growing Up Online: Young People and Digital Technologies, Weber + Dixon
– People Like Her, Ellery Lloyd
Unfortunately no real detective element in those, but I think they’re on topic and appropriate given that they want stuff aimed older. But only you know your kids.