Internet Safety
Look, I’m nearly 30. I know that means I’m inches from death to most teens here. In the United States, teens have been so utterly failed by the education system deciding that “digital native” meant “miraculously knows how the internet works”.
I was taught, in school, how to use search engines. I was taught about what information people can take advantage of and how they do that. Did I still do teens stuff? Yes - I accessed sites I shouldn’t have and lied about my age to read erotica. But I didn’t announce my presence, and I knew that if I decided to say I was an adult, despite not being one, if I saw shit I didn’t want to see, that was my fault. Because I was taught why age gates are there.
I am not saying this to say “teens are stupid” - if you’re a teenager and reading this, I do not think you’re stupid. You were not given the appropriate amount of information to keep yourself safe in the same way I was. That’s not fair. Please try to keep in mind that adults who have the information and want to share it aren’t doing so because we think you’re an idiot. We want you to have good information so you can keep yourself safe.
