One of the pilot projects we’ve been testing in recent months is providing digital safety workshops for groups of tween girls, particularly in Girl Scout troops. Topics covered in these trainings include device locations, mobile cameras, social media sharing, informing parents, keeping data private, plus how apps work, how ads work, how texting works, and how social networks work.

Tweens and teens face so many social pressures, it’s easy to understand how they can make poor choices with technology — particularly mobile tech. Teaching kids that likes and shares are not as important as self-worth and privacy can be an important and challenging lesson. Cyberbullying is very real and it is becoming a more serious problem as more people go online and as digital media evolves. Digital safety is important for all kids, but it’s especially critical for tween girls to know what not to do to stay safe.