Google’s Online Safety Roadshow traveled to Berkeley Springs on Monday, November 9, to educate students at Warm Springs Middle School about staying safe and secure online. Google was accompanied by West Virginia State Senator Shelley Moore Capito.
Capito spoke to students about the importance of being careful on social media sites, using examples from her own use of texting and Facebook.
“Using social media comes with a lot of responsibility,” she said.
She then turned it over to Google for a presentation about the do’s and don’ts of social media that addressed five key areas of online safety:
-Think before you share –which reminded students that every private message or photo they send can easily be forwarded and made public.
Students participated in Google’s Online Safety Road Show by holding up red and green paddles to answer questions and vote in polls. photos by Holly Trainum - Protect your stuff-a segment that taught students how to create safe passwords.
- Know and use your settings which explained the ways students can understand who they are sharing things with on social media.
- Avoid Scams-which showed students examples of online scams called “phishing” and how to recognize and avoid them.
- Be Positive-Google wrapped up the presentation by urging students to be positive when posting, commenting, and communicating online.
Students participated in the presentation, wearing Google T-shirts and using red and green paddles to vote on polls.
During the password segment students even got the opportunity to compete against Senator Capito to see who could create a stronger password.
Google reminded students that their online presence made up of every picture, comment, or message they post online, can be very important when it comes time to apply to colleges or jobs.
Students and Senator Capito herself all agreed, using their green Google paddles that they had learned a lot from the assembly.