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The CyberWise Blog: AI, Digital Literacy and Online Safety for Families
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Meta Lost in Court, but Children Are Still Losing Online.
A jury ruled that Meta misled the public about child safety—but will anything actually change? This post explores the verdict, Section 230, and why kids may still be at risk online.
Soni Albright
Mar 254 min read
Meta’s Teen Accounts
Are social media safety tools really protecting kids—or just shaping public perception? This post breaks down Meta’s Teen Accounts, what the data reveals, and why media literacy matters more than ever.
Soni Albright
Mar 256 min read
Navigating the Gray Areas of AI in Homework: Strategies for Schools and Parents
opportunities and challenges for schools and families. As AI tools become more common, the line between helpful use and academic dishonesty is becoming harder to define. This guide explores how schools are responding and offers practical ways parents can help children use AI responsibly while still developing critical thinking skills.
Cyberwise
Mar 208 min read
Online Safety Laws for Children & Teens Part 4
The REPORT Act of 2024 shifts responsibility for online child safety onto platforms. Expanding mandatory CSAM reporting, faster notifications, and data retention, it highlights the limits of past laws and the need for real accountability, even as teen safety, AI, and upstream risks remain unaddressed.
Soni Albright
Jan 287 min read
Online Safety Laws for Children & Teens Part 3
The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) shifted responsibility for online safety from tech companies to schools and libraries. Requiring filters, monitoring, and digital citizenship education, CIPA aims to protect minors but often overblocks, underblocks, and fuels student surveillance. True safety depends on media literacy, transparency, and holding platforms accountable—beyond what filters alone can achieve.
Soni Albright
Jan 287 min read
Online Safety Laws for Children & Teens: Part 2
Although COPPA was passed by Congress in 1998, the law itself hasn’t changed much in more than two decades. Congress wrote the statute broadly and delegated most of the real work to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), directing the agency to “prescribe regulations” to protect children’s personal information.
Soni Albright
Jan 289 min read
Online Safety Laws for Children and Teens: Part 1
The first of a series that offers a practical overview of the key U.S. laws that govern online privacy and safety for children and teenagers. I
Soni Albright
Dec 31, 20257 min read
AI Driver's Ed: 8 Rules of the Digital Road for Good Drivers
With generative AI tools, we all have something far more powerful than a car. And most of us aren’t getting lessons at all.
Dr. Pamela Rutledge
Nov 20, 20255 min read
Innovative Strategies for Teachers to Support Diverse Learners
Classrooms today are hubs of diversity, filled with students who differ in backgrounds, abilities, and aspirations. As educational challenges evolve, teachers must develop new approaches to foster an inclusive classroom atmosphere and reach every learner. Harnessing the power of frameworks like Universal Design for Learning and employing digital tools, educators can transform their strategies to better engage and empower all students. For those seeking to elevate their teach
Guest Author
Oct 17, 20253 min read
AI Literacy Is Just Digital and Media Literacy in Disguise
Key points An executive order, Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth, calls for AI literacy. AI literacy is suddenly an educational priority in K-12 schools. Media and digital literacy lay the foundation for AI literacy. Critical thinking, ethical awareness, and responsible participation are essential to using AI wisely. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding AI literacy right now, and it’s (finally) giving digital and media literacy their long-over
Diana Graber
Oct 10, 20254 min read
Bullying Prevention Month: Why It Matters More Than Ever
October marks National Bullying Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness and take action against a problem that touches nearly every school and community.
Connor Cohen
Oct 6, 20252 min read
Why Schools Should Prioritize Digital Wellness in 2025: A Mental Health Professional’s Perspective on the Cyber Civics Health & Wellness Series
As a mental health professional, I’ve witnessed firsthand how today’s digital world profoundly shapes the emotional well-being of young people. Students today are navigating far more than academics—they’re juggling the pressures of social media, the complexities of digital relationships, and the constant presence of screens in nearly every aspect of their lives.
Connor Cohen
Aug 4, 20253 min read
Screen Time and Spending: Teaching Kids to Balance Digital Life and Financial Responsibility
Child using phone Kids today are growing up in a world full of screens and digital spending. For parents, this means juggling two tough...
Sam Bowman
Jul 25, 20254 min read
Kids and Chatbots: When AI Feels Like A New Best Friend
Kids are forming emotional bonds with chatbots. With digital literacy and parental guidance, kids can have healthy interactions that...
Dr. Pamela Rutledge
Jun 26, 20256 min read
Instead of Banning Cellphones in School, Connecticut District Embraced Them
School leaders must do more than equip students with digital literacy skills — they need to teach them how to use digital tools appropriately and responsibly, to be good stewards of technology. There’s power in those cellphones sitting in students’ pockets and backpacks. It’s up to educators to get them to use it the right way.
Diana Graber
Jun 8, 20254 min read
Raising Leaders: How Parents Can Cultivate Leadership in Children from an Early Age
Leadership doesn’t begin in the boardroom—it begins at home. The seeds of confidence, responsibility, and initiative are planted early,...
Guest Author
May 21, 20253 min read
Public Wi-Fi Puts Your Kids at Risk, Here’s What You Can Do About It
Public Wi-Fi is everywhere! From coffee shops and school libraries to airports and malls, these open networks make it easy to stay...
Guest Author
Apr 28, 20253 min read
Why Are We So Lonely? Understanding the Loneliness Epidemic
Editor Note: This post has been republished from the author's Substack with their express permission ( https://drpam.substack.com/p/why-a...
Pamela Rutledge, PhD, MBA
Mar 19, 20259 min read
Cyberbullying and Child's Self-Esteem: Recognizing the Signs and Offering Support
While the internet offers countless opportunities for connection and learning, it also poses a growing threat: cyberbullying. It is the...
Olena Sobolieva
Mar 12, 20254 min read
It’s Time to Pause Use of Artificial Intelligence in Early Childhood Education
As it turns out, generative AI – at least in its current incarnations – is different enough from previous media technologies to require a ch
Faith Rogow, Ph.D
Mar 11, 202525 min read
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