,,Students are growing up on a digital playground and no one is on recess duty.”

 Digital Platform

This quote shows strongly how young generations are living today and how technology is affecting and controlling their lives, to the extent that playgrounds are prescribed as digital.

Instead of enjoying life out there in the open air, their maximum pleasure is narrowed to be on a screen.

Students don't know the happiness and joy that old generations experienced outdoors. How fun it was to play a football game. How cheerful it is to enjoy a movie at the cinema with a group of friends. How enjoyable it is to meet friends face to face and spend the whole day together having fun instead of chatting through a screen. 

Technology collected all students needs on mobile phones, iPads and laptops. They can hear music, watch movies, do homework, play games and even meet friends online. Social media, Snapchat, Youtube invaded the minds of this generation. Everyone is holding a mobile phone. These phones are used for everyday activity like shipping, banking, playing, searching for information, chatting..etc.

All this made the students' world online. So in addition of all the fun they get, they can easily be exposed to high online risks. Due to the anonymity, this online world can be free and available for anyone. You can find good and bad people. This is why that this digital playground, should be strictly supervised by the parents. It's very important that parents get involved in their kids' online world and teach them the appropriate online behavior, especially with the younger kids. And it's also very important that kids understand and know that they are supervised and watched. 

Due to young age, lack of experience, kids can share personal information that can lead to identity theft, or sharing personal photos that can get them in trouble with strangers that can use these photos in an inappropriate way. In addition to harassments, cyberbullying or talking to strangers. A lot of teens have friends that they meet only online through social networking or online gaming. Appropriate communication skills should be taught to avoid the online risk. 

Parents should communicate with their children and put some online rules and tips to guarantee the safety of their kids like setting up a password. Children should also need to learn to speak up if they receive an online invitation from strangers or a text of concern. Building trust and good communication between parents and children can keep the kids safe online. 

Even schools turned lately online and education joined the online system. Most students carry around a

portable computer in addition to their mobile phones. Mobile computing is involved today in our daily

lives, including education, work and family life. Students are expected to participate in this digital world

for education where texting, snapping, chatting, tweeting and posting is expected. They will work, learn,

and play in this digital world that mixes their private life with their public life. So schools and teachers

have a very important part in this topic. It’s very important that teachers build a strong relationship with

students. The strong connection in a meaningful way between teachers and students is the most

important thing in education. Sharing personal stories can be an effective way to build trust between

teacher and students to help them open up and maintain appropriate boundaries.

Teachers need to help students to be responsible, kind, respectful and safe online. It’s called digital

citizenship. It’s important to teach students behaviors and skills that will help them to be successful in

their lives.

As much as the digital world is interesting, time saver, funny and highly developed. It’s full of danger and

risks. So to avoid its danger, you need to learn how to use it. It’s a challenge how to mitigate the harms

while maximizing the benefits of digital world.