Natick to Host Conversation with National Experts in Internet Safety

The public is invited to an event tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Natick High School entitled, "Digital Conversation to Digital Citizenship."

Sponsored by the Natick Public Schools, Trend Micro, the Natick Education Foundation and the Natick Anti-Bullying Coalition, the event will give parents an opportunity to hear national experts in the field of children and Internet safety speak and participate in discussions related to the topic.

"This is a great opportunity," said Lynette Owens, a Natick resident who is the founder and Global Director of Trend Micro's Internet Safety for Kids and Families Program (ISKF), as well as the Internet Safety Education Chair for the Natick Anti-Bullying Coalition. "They're going to be looking at it from a wider lens, from a national level. It's a win, win, win all around."

The panel of experts includes:

• Dr. Peter Sanchioni, Superintendent of Natick Public Schools
• Lynette Owens, Trend Micro, Global Director, Internet Safety for Kids and Families
• Ann Collier, Editor, NetFamily News and Co-Director, Connectsafely.org
• Larry Magid, Co-Director of Connectsafely.org, CBS News/CNET Technology Reporter, founder of Safekids.com and SafeTeens.com
• Mia Doces, Committee for Children, Second Step Curriculum, and New Ventures Management
• Brook Oberwetter, Facebook, Associate Manager of External Affairs for Policy
• Del Harvey, Director of Trust and Safety, Twitter

"Our jobs help our kids be safe and responsible," Owens said. "They also help our kids be successful and responsible."

Owens explains that online skills are important in today's world, and she gives an example where if two candidates were applying for the same job and had all the same qualifications but one of them had superior online skills, then that person would likely get the job.

"I argue that it has to be a partnership between school and parents," Owens said about raising responsible digital kids. "I put raising savvy, digital kids in the same [level of importance] as eating healthy."

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Owens, who used her connections from her position at Trend Micro to organize this event, said she's prepared the panelists for what to expect from a very discussion-oriented group of parents. The panel is in town to judge Trend Micro's "What's Your Story?" Contest.

"I told everybody to be ready," she said. "You will be engaged."

One of the most difficult things about being a parent these days is knowing how to deal with all the various pieces of technology and Internet connectivity. How do you monitor your kids? How much should you monitor your kids? While there is no surefire answer, Owens said you don't want to overcrowd your child.

"There's a gray area of being a parent," she said, likening it to deciding when your children can walk home alone or start dating. "I think there is a point where you can be overprotective."

The other tough problem many parents encounter is when to start discussing Internet safety with their kids. Many parents think their child isn't old enough to need that talk yet, but some parents may end up waiting too long. It can be a dilemma and many parents aren't sure what to do.

"I'm an advocate of having the conversation with kids as young as possible," Owens said. "It's not a conversation about technology; it's a conversation about being a parent in the 21st century. As soon as you're handing them something that's connected to the Internet you can have the conversation."

If you're interested in attending tomorrow night's event, register here.