Help her be a force for good online
It’s always important to model kindness and empathy to our kids—especially online! From navigating social media to cyberbullying, parenting in the digital age is definitely complicated. The good news is that you can play a big role in teaching your girl the power of spreading positivity. The message is plain and simple: it’s cool to be kind.
Here are five ways you can teach your girl to lead with kindness online:
1. Be kind online
The golden rule applies online just as much as in-person: treat others how you’d like to be treated! Teach your girl that being kind and respectful to others online makes the internet far more positive and safe for everyone. Talk to your girl about how she might feel angry, sad, or embarrassed if someone said or wrote something mean about her online. Since she doesn’t want to feel that way, she should do her best to ensure she doesn’t make anyone else feel that way. Talking with her about which comments or content are positive and which are negative will empower her to make good choices.
2. Set a good example
Your girl is a leader who can model kindness online! Let her know that she has the power to lead by example. Help your girl develop skills to take a leadership role online. Show her how to communicate respectfully and kindly in the digital world and in real life by modeling these behaviors yourself. Treat others with empathy in your digital interactions, whether on social media or over email. Encourage her to create and share content that uplifts and inspires others. Whether it’s sharing achievements, creative projects, or kind messages, promoting positivity online will create a ripple effect. When she leads by example, she’ll also support her friends in making good choices. If her friends and peers see her spreading positivity online, they’ll be more likely to do the same. Kindness is contagious!
3. Stand up to cyberbullies
Unfortunately, bullies can be anywhere—especially in the digital world. Cyberbullying can take many forms, including insults, threats, and spreading rumors. By helping her gain the confidence to stand up to bullies, you’ll give her skills she can use throughout life when conflicts arise. If someone is being unkind or making her uncomfortable, encourage her to talk to the person calmly and directly if it is safe to do so. This conversation could lead to a resolution. If this doesn’t work, help her handle the situation online by blocking, muting, or unfollowing people who are mean-spirited or who demonstrate inappropriate behavior. Of course, if there’s any threat of violence, remind her to come to you or a trusted adult for help instead of trying to deal with the situation alone. Help her recognize the signs of bullying and the importance of standing up for herself and others. Encourage her to speak up and report online bullying.
4. Stop harmful or untrue information
Most of us have had untrue information shared about us at some point. Rumors hurt us all. The best way to teach your girl to recognize and challenge false information is by making her aware that people and situations online aren’t always as they seem. Discerning between what’s real and fake is a lesson in digital safety. Help guide her in determining if information is true and reliable, and what isn’t. Before she shares information she hears online, she should first consider where the information came from. Is the person the information came from reliable, or have they spread rumors in the past? Can anyone else help her verify that what’s being said is true? Ask her how she’d feel if someone spread false information about her online. Let her know she can call out this behavior if directed at her or other people if it is safe to do so.
5. Think before you share
Once things are on the internet, they may be hard to erase, as a digital footprint follows us everywhere. Just like we should think before speaking, we should be thoughtful before sharing online, commenting, or communicating with others. If it isn’t kind to say, it isn’t kind to post. Remind her to ask herself, “How would I feel if someone said this to or about me?” and “Is this a positive comment?” Teach her the importance of keeping private information safe and secure online, and work together to create guidelines about what information is and isn’t appropriate to share.
Explore more resources on this topic:
Be Internet Awesome: Google’s Be Internet Awesome empowers kids with tools and education to confidently and safely explore, grow, and play online.
Raise an Awesome Girl: Check out Raising Awesome Girls for tips and advice on supporting parents and caregivers in raising the next generation of confident girls and young women.
Support Mental Wellness: Learn more about mental wellness with Girl Scouts’ Resilient. Ready. Strong. Challenge, Mental Wellness patch program, and other resources.
Become Digital Leaders: Girl Scouts can check out the Digital Leadership and Cybersecurity badges for each level. Adults can find ideas to support and inspire their Girl Scout’s interest in technology with the STEM Playbook.
Explore the Google family challenge, fun patch, and other articles.
Made possible by a generous grant from Google.
