How to equip your children to survive in the digital jungle

As featured on The Steve Wright Show on Radio 2. Equipping children to thrive and survive in the digital jungle Digital technology, social media, and online gaming are now a universal part of childhood. But are you worried about what your children might be doing online? What they might come across by accident? Or who might try to contact them through Facebook or Twitter? Whether you are a parent, grandparent, teacher, or youth leader, you will want children to get the most out of new technology. But how do you tread the tightrope of keeping them safe online, whilst enabling them to seize and benefit from the wealth of opportunities on offer? Bex Lewis, an expert in social media and digital innovation, has written a much-needed and timely book full of sound research, practical tips, and realistic advice on how to keep children safe online. She puts the Internet scare stories and distorted statistics into context and offers clear and sensible guidelines to help children thrive in the digital jungle. Media coverage includes: \* BBC Radio 2: The Steve Wright Show \* BBC Radio Tees \* BBC Radio Newcastle \* ITV Tyne Tees television \* Real Radio \* Sun FM \* The Durham Times \* The Northern Echo \* The Sunderland Echo \* Premier Radio \* The War Cry For more information visit www.lionhudson.com/drbex

"Bex is clearly passionate about helping people engage with the digital world in a positive way, and... sets out some great ways to achieve this." -- Reg Bailey CBE, Chief Executive of Mothers' Union "A refreshingly direct and thoughtful guide for parents." -- Professor Sonia Livingstone OBE, London School of Economics, author of Children and the Internet

Bex Lewis is a young, lively academic based at the University of Durham where she is Research Fellow in Social Media and Online Learning. She is an in-demand speaker, social media consultant, life coach and blogger, known online as @drbexl. Now heading her own social media consultancy, Digital Fingerprint, she aims to bring a wider knowledge of digital literacy to as many people as possible.

As featured on The Steve Wright Show on Radio 2. Equipping children to thrive and survive in the digital jungle Digital technology, social media, and online gaming are now a universal part of childhood. But are you worried about what your children might be doing online? What they might come across by accident? Or who might try to contact them through Facebook or Twitter? Whether you are a parent, grandparent, teacher, or youth leader, you will want children to get the most out of new technology. But how do you tread the tightrope of keeping them safe online, whilst enabling them to seize and benefit from the wealth of opportunities on offer? Bex Lewis, an expert in social media and digital innovation, has written a much-needed and timely book full of sound research, practical tips, and realistic advice on how to keep children safe online. She puts the Internet scare stories and distorted statistics into context and offers clear and sensible guidelines to help children thrive in the digital jungle. Media coverage includes: BBC Radio 2: The Steve Wright Show, BBC Radio Tees, BBC Radio Newcastle, ITV Tyne Tees television , Real Radio, Sun FM, The Durham Times, The Northern Echo, The Sunderland Echo, Premier Radio.

__Contents__  
A Chance to Say Thank You… 7  
Meet @drbexl 11  
Introduction: What Am I Going to  
Gain from this Book? 13  
Should we truly be fearful? 15  
Who is responsible? 17  
Questionnaire 18  
Navigating this book 19  
__Chapter 1: Challenging Fears:__  
Brief Lessons from History 20  
The development of a "risk" society 22  
Changing families 25  
Common fears 26  
Looking hopeful? 28  
__Chapter 2: Digital Culture: Why it__  
Matters that We Join In 30  
The need for "digital literacy" 33  
Technology: "The bad guy"? 34  
Focus on the positive 36  
Improving social skills 37  
The benefits of digital technology for those with special needs 38  
Online/Offline 40  
__Chapter 3: Technology: The ToolBox 44__  
What's hot right now? 45  
Audio services 45  
Blogging 46  
Bookmarking 48  
Facebook 48  
File-hosting service 50  
Foursquare 51  
Google Search 51  
Google+ 52  
Instagram 53  
LinkedIn 53  
Pinterest 54  
Snapchat 54  
Skype 55  
Twitter 55  
YouTube 56  
Don't forget the "old" technologies 58  
__Chapter 4: Children in Digital Culture 59__  
The myth of "the digital native" 60  
Children online 62  
Making positive choices 63  
What changes in the teenage years? 64  
Buy me! Buy me! 67  
"Digital divide" 70  
Where do children turn to for advice? 71  
__Chapter 5: Communicate,__  
Communicate, Communicate 73  
The question of an Internet Safety Agreement 78  
__Chapter 6: Practical Advice for Parents in a Digital Age 81__  
Appropriate at what age? 82  
Legal limits? 84  
Privacy and permanency 87  
Monitoring 90  
Filtering 92  
Location services 95  
Managing your digital fingerprint 96  
__Chapter 7: Identity: Values and Authenticity 99__  
Role models 102  
Anonymity 103  
__Chapter 8: Relationships__ (__Online__) __104__  
Friendships 105  
Cyberbullying 109  
Bystanders 119  
"Stranger danger" lurks… 122  
__Chapter 9: Increasingly Mobile 127__  
An intruder? 130  
An e-babysitter? 131  
Managing phone use and costs 136  
At what age should I buy my child a mobile? 138  
Texting and short forms 141  
Chapter 10: Sex Talk (Porn, Paedophilia, and Sexting) 143  
Porn 144  
Grooming and child abuse 148  
Sexting 152  
__Chapter 11: Keeping within the Law 155__  
Plagiarism and copyright 156  
Music, film and apps 157  
Viruses 159  
__Chapter 12: Health Works 160__  
Physical set-up 160  
Dodgy health information 162  
Brain change? 165  
Addiction 166  
Attention spans and multitasking 170  
Conversational ability 170  
Couch potatoes? 173  
Chapter 13: Screen Time and Family Dynamics 175  
Recommended screen time 176  
Bedroom culture 178  
Digital time out 180  
Reading online 181  
__Chapter 14: Gaming 184__  
Finding age-appropriate games 187  
The positives of gaming 188  
Violent, addictive, and expensive? 190  
__Chapter 15: Does Digital Offer Life__  
Opportunities? 192  
Criticality and avoiding the scams 194  
Working together: collaboration 196  
Clicktivism, activism, and social justice 197  
__Chapter 16: Some Thoughts for__  
Others Working with Children 200  
Grandparents 200  
Some further resources 202  
Teachers 203  
Some further resources 207  
Youth workers/leaders 209  
Some further resources 211  
__Chapter 17: Looking to the Future 212__  
Predictions are made 212  
The future is here 213  
Core parenting skills retain value 214  
Chapter 18: Never Forget 215  
JargonBuster 218  
Find other terms 224  
Websites You Might Want to  
Connect with 225  
Want to Read a Little More? 229  
Some specific web resources 231  
Notes 232

Bex Lewis

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Page

A Chance to Say Thank You…

Meet @drbexl

Introduction: What Am I Going to Gain from this Book?

Chapter 1 - Challenging Fears: Brief Lessons from History

Chapter 2 - Digital Culture: Why it Matters that We Join In

Chapter 3 - Technology: The ToolBox

Chapter 4 - Children in Digital Culture

Chapter 5 - Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Chapter 6 - Practical Advice for Parents in a Digital Age

Chapter 7 - Identity: Values and Authenticity

Chapter 8 - Relationships (Online)

Chapter 9 - Increasingly Mobile

Chapter 10 -  Sex Talk (Porn, Paedophilia, and Sexting)

Chapter 11 - Keeping within the Law

Chapter 12 - Health Works

Chapter 13 -  Screen Time and Family Dynamics

Chapter 14 - Gaming

Chapter 15 - Does Digital Offer Life Opportunities?

Chapter 16 - Some Thoughts for Others Working with Children

Chapter 17 - Looking to the Future

Chapter 18 - Never Forget

JargonBuster

Websites You Might Want to Connect with

Want to read a Little More?

Notes

Lewis, Bex

In this vital and timely book, Dr Bex Lewis shows us how to empower young people to get the best out of new technology and to avoid it's dangers. For most parents, teachers and youth workers, getting to grips with new technology is a huge challenge - Twitter, Facebook, blogging, chat rooms, email, the internet and beyond - and as technology changes and young people grasp it faster than the older generations do, it can be a real struggle to know what to do to help, equip and defend. This is an important and timely book: Keeping our children safe is of critical importance and a huge source of concern for many. Dr. Bex Lewis shows us how.

How to equip your children to survive in the digital jungle.

"Bex is clearly passionate about helping people engage with the digital world in a positive way, and... sets out some great ways to achieve this." -- Reg Bailey CBE, Chief Executive of Mothers' Union "A refreshingly direct and thoughtful guide for parents." -- Professor Sonia Livingstone OBE, London School of Economics, author of Children and the Internet This book is certainly unique in that it is not just the spouting of technologies but the revealing of how ordinary folks see and perceive technologies but the revealing of how ordinary folks see and perceive technologies. I appreciate the way Lewis weaves in the various snippets of her survey and study to give us a very down to earth picture of the technological landscape at a very human level. -- Conrade Yap Netgalley 20140130 This book is well written and informative. A definitive guide to avoid your kids dealing with the nastier side of the internet (grooming, cyberbullying, internet addiction). -- Kerry Marsh Netgalley 20140319 'This is a book which every family with young children can benefit from.' The Irish Catholic 'This book is the go-to guide for all our digital worries.' -- Lloyd Kinsley Childrenswork 20140601

UK author Dr Bex Lewis shows readers how to empower young people through the pros and pitfalls of the digital world

Preparing Your Children for the Digital Jungle

Raising Children in a Digital Age

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