As students spend more time on the internet, the concern for their safety increases.
The nation’s cybersecurity experts are telling WCRIS that one of the greatest threats to students online is the rise of disinformation. They warn that students are being exposed to wrong and misleading information. In some cases, kids are exposed to information that can be harmful to their physical and mental health.
These federal government security experts are warning that extremist groups and far-leaning political groups are targeting children for recruitment. There is even evidence that efforts to target girls are on the rise, they say.
School leaders and parents should be aware that these groups are not always racially or politically motivated nor meet the pop-culture understanding of extremist groups.
For example, one home-grown group that is on the rise is the loosely organized movement known as Incels or Involuntary Celibates.
The Incel movement is considered by experts to be a radical anti-women movement that has been associated with various acts of school violence in recent years. The movement started on online message boards within 4chan where it was popularized on Reddit.
Movements like Incels can happen quickly and move undetected online. Students may stumble on these movements and because of algorithms, find themselves stuck in an echo chamber where everything reinforces these wrong-headed notions.
School leaders and parents should ensure that students have longer amounts of time off-line during the school day and at home in the evening.
Old Dogs, New Tricks
Most parents and school leaders understand that online message boards are places of recruitment or dangerous for kids to be visiting. But many are not aware of new dangers with video games, cyber security experts warn.
Online video games are being used by extremist groups to recruit and indoctrinate children. Because of the nature of online games, topics about weapons or violence don’t seem extraordinary or out of place.
Therefore, it’s important to foster good digital literacy in your curriculum. This will help students learn what is appropriate and how to use the internet in a safe and fun way.
Given the nature of modern communication, students use the internet to keep abreast of many worthwhile and sanctioned activities. Like it or not. Therefore, you’ll likely be more successful keeping students safe by teaching them to navigate the dangers than by just issuing blanket prohibitions against using the internet.
You may want to assess the quality of your school’s digital literacy education efforts. Microsoft has a free digital literacy program that you can access here.
