Byron Holland
Byron Holland is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA). View bio
6
Nov
Media Literacy Week
Are your kids more tech-savvy than you? Often, the answer is yes. I think this is a common reality for many parents in the developed world. Even as the CEO of a progressive Internet-focused organization, I know my kids are communicating in ways that I couldn’t have even imagined when I was their age. I knew this was true when my 8 year old walked up to me and out of the blue asked if he could “skype” his grandparents!
When kids reach out to friends and strangers in cyberspace, supervision can be tricky to say the least. The best means of protecting this wired generation is to ensure they are properly educated about safe use of the Internet and that they are aware of the ways they can be targeted, from unscrupulous marketing companies to child predators.
This past week was Media Literacy Week in Canada. This is an annual event lead by Media Awareness Network and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation. The week puts a spotlight on the importance of media literacy as a key component in the education of children and young people. This is something that CIRA strongly supports, and I support as a parent. CIRA is proud to be a sponsor of Media Awareness Network in our shared goal of making the Internet a safer place for young Canadians.
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