It’s very normal today for children to access the internet at a young age, and Google wants to do its part to ensure that their first steps onto the web are safe and enjoyable. To that end, the company has launched Be Internet Awesome, a new program that aims to educate youngsters on how to make smart decisions online.
Be Internet Awesome is designed with all kinds of different learning scenarios in mind. There are resources that teachers and educators can use in class, videos for parents to watch alongside their children, and fun interactive experiences that kids can enjoy by themselves.
It’s all about digital safety and citizenship, according to a post on the the company’s blog. Google is trying to teach children how to protect their information and determine whether something they read on the web is real or fake, but there’s also an ambition to educate the younger generation on how to be kind to one another online.
The interactive component will likely be the most engrossing aspect of Be Internet Awesome from a child’s perspective. The web-based Interland comprises four minigames, each of which takes aim at a different dimension of online activity.
Reality River tasks players with answering multiple choice questions, with a focus on who can be trusted online. Kind Kingdom is about blocking out cyberbullies and promoting more positive online interactions. Mindful Mountain focuses on the importance of only sharing information with the right people. Finally, Tower of Treasures aims to instill the importance of strong passwords.
It’s good to see Google being proactive with this sign of content, as it could certainly help make the web a better place for future generations. Releasing it for free is certainly a positive move, and hopefully parents and teachers alike will take advantage of the materials.
