For those who are technologically inclined, I’m going to assume that is nearly all of our audience, you hold a special place in the Church. Because of your knowledge, you have experience that can help support the Church as well as the families that attend and lead. Whether you are church tech volunteers, the youth pastor, or an elder who knows a lot about phones and the internet, I want to call on you to share your information.
While you know all the right things to do and say, hopefully, sharing that information can sometimes be difficult. I want to share a VALUABLE resource with you guys to not only look over yourself but to immediately start sharing with people in your church.
It’s called ConnectSafely.org and is a secular nonprofit geared to help you, children, and families become better with technology and the internet. Their mission statement goes like this:
Whether it’s social media, mobile technology or the “Internet of Things,” connected technologies bring us enormous advantages, along with some challenges. ConnectSafely’s job is to help users get the most from their technology while managing the risks and help decision makers craft sensible policies that encourage both innovation and responsible use. ConnectSafely has been a leading voice for rational, research-informed policies — not “moral panics” — when it comes to dealing with challenges brought about by emerging technologies.
Below, I want to share some of my favorite pages that I think you ABSOLUTELY have to visit before you go get another cup of coffee or check Slack.
- Some 95% of Americans own cellphones of some kind, according to Pew Research Center – among 18- to 29-year-olds, the number is a whopping 100%. Here are 11 tips for safer smartphone use.
- Want to empower parents and children to use technology and the internet better, but also improve communication and accountability? Check out their family contracts and pledges pages which include PDFs you can print off and hand to families to sign.
- We know the dangers of being online, but with some forward thinking and precaution, you can be safe. Here are way too many tips to count on how to be safe online.
- They call this page the news and views section, but honestly, it is simply their blog section. Definitely, something to subscribe to for more information as they continue to release new stuff.
What one resource did you take away from this site that you will implement at home or at church?
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