Educating Students and Parents About Privacy and Technology Overuse

Presented by Gaia Bernstein, Law Professor and Director, Institute for Privacy Protection, Seton Hall Law School, NJ; and Najarian Peters, Assistant Professor, Institute for Privacy Protection, Seton Hall Law School, NJ
Hosted by Common Sense Education and Sponsored by Symantec

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Web-based apps and devices have transformed our students’ lives, creating new privacy risks and changing ways of social interaction. In this edWebinar, Gaia Bernstein and Jari Peters, professors at Seton Hall Law School’s Institute for Privacy Protection in New Jersey, present a new program that targets kids in fifth and sixth grades—the ages at which they receive their first cellphones. The free program is unique in that it includes both a curriculum for elementary and middle school students and lectures for parents.

The program highlights the importance of developing a healthy online/offline balance and understanding the connection between excessive use of smartphones, screens, and digital communication and privacy and reputational harms. For the students’ curriculum, they have implemented lessons that use real-life scenarios and engaging, student-driven activities to prepare students to make thoughtful and responsible decisions when using technology. The goal of integrating the students’ curriculum with parents’ lectures is to promote a dialogue of cooperation regarding technology use between students and parents.

This recorded edWebinar is for all K-12 teachers, librarians, and tech coordinators, especially those working with upper elementary through high school students.

About the Presenters
Gaia Bernstein is a law professor and director of the Institute for Privacy Protection at the Seton Hall University School of Law. Her forthcoming book, The Over-Users: Happiness, Technology Addiction and the Power of Awareness, describes the harms of excessive use of phones and screens for adults and kids and examines legal measures to reduce overuse of devices. Gaia’s research has been featured extensively in the media including the New York Times, Forbes, ABC News, and Psychology Today.

Gaia has spearheaded the development of the Institute for Privacy Protection’s Student-Parent Outreach Program, which operates in schools in New York and New Jersey. The Outreach Program addresses overuse of screens by focusing on developing a healthy online/offline balance and the impact on privacy and online reputation. She delivers lectures about ways for individuals and groups to address the harms of excessive device use. For additional information, see her website at gaiabernstein.com.

 Najarian (Jari) Peters, Assistant Professor, joined the Institute for Privacy Protection at Seton Hall Law School in 2017. Najarian is an attorney and privacy compliance professional with over 10 years of experience in academic, health care, and private organizations. She co-developed the Institute’s curriculum focused on elementary and middle school children and trains law students in the Institute’s curriculum. She earned her undergraduate degree in political science from Xavier University of Louisiana and her Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School. Najarian also holds graduate certifications in pharmaceutical and medical device law and policy compliance and healthcare compliance from Seton Hall Law School.

If you view the recording and would like a CE certificate, join the Digital Learning & Leadership community and go to the edWebinar Archives folder to take the CE quiz. As a member of the community, you’ll be able to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view past edWebinars to earn CE certificates.

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Common Sense Education develops high-quality digital citizenship programs and digital teaching resources, providing educators and students with the digital learning tools they need to harness the power of technology for life.

Symantec was founded in 1982 by visionary computer scientists. The company has evolved to become one of the world’s largest software companies with more than 18,500 employees in more than 50 countries. We provide security, storage and systems management solutions to help our customers – from consumers and small businesses to the largest global organizations – secure and manage their information-driven world against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently than any other company.