<div>Worried about your child’s cell phone and online safety? Then this session is a must attend event.In the weeks following the tragic school shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, local school districts have faced new challenges that stem from the rise of threats on social media platforms.Law enforcement and parents alike want to keep children safe. We used to live in a culture where immediate danger found itself only face-to-face for children, but now parents find themselves fighting a digital battle that seems to change weekly and shift through new apps or websites.Children’s interests are shaped by what is culturally trending on TikTok and Instagram, just to name a few. Parents can struggle with the hidden dangers of social media and apps that are so quickly accessible to their children.Seminole County Family Connection is partnering with Seminole County Middle/High School, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) to bring parents a workshop called “Parenting in the Digital Age: Phone and Online Safety.”This event is set for Monday, September 30th at 6 p.m. at the Seminole County Middle High School Cafeteria.Special Agent Casey Daniel from the GBI, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and counselors from Seminole County Middle/High School will be in attendance.There will be practical information available at the event for parents to take home to help empower them through knowledge to better monitor their children’s devices and also inform them of different social media apps and their capabilities. Information will be shared on how to place safer boundaries on devices while still allowing them to gain access to apps and social media platforms.Volunteers will be on-site to help answer questions on accessing parental controls that come free on IOS (iPhone) and Android devices. QR codes will also be made available to access step-by-step videos that parents can view at home as well.There will be a follow-up opportunity available for parents interested in joining a book study on the book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewriting of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt. Seminole County Family Connection partners will lead this discussion.Family Connection coordinator Billie McLendon said that she and other collaborative members were seeing parents call for action and change when it comes to youth using smartphones. McLendon commented, “As a parent, I realized the change has to start with parents. It is a parent’s role to keep our children’s minds safe. Smartphones and other devices are not going away. As a mom, I have stock in the next generation and find it one of my biggest honors to be a part of that. I also take responsibility for the fact that when I give a phone to my child, I am not giving them access to the world but giving the world access to my child. As a mom, I want to understand how to navigate that best. Information turns into knowledge and, mixed with experience, ends with wisdom. Our community has many great parents who want to raise children with wisdom. We are excited to partner with these great agencies and our school system, which sees this as essential. Together, we will work to build knowledge on parenting in this digital age.”</div>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Parenting in the digital age Cell phone and online safety training session set for Monday, September 30 at SCMHS Cafeteria

Worried about your child’s cell phone and online safety? Then this session is a must attend event. In the weeks following the tragic school shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, local school districts have faced new challenges that stem from the rise of threats on social media platforms.