As many families prepare for distance learning during this unprecedented back-to-school season, concerns around the efficacy of virtual education and increased screen time are coming to the forefront.
On November 18th, we hosted the premier online safety event of 2020 – live and virtual! This year's event, "Building Resilience," covered the many changing elements of online life, for ourselves, our families, and our world. The inherent obstacles and vast benefits of the digital world have become apparent to all of us now more than ever, and we explored these issues against the backdrop of a quickly changing social and cultural landscape.
This online workshop compared attitudes toward digital parenting in the US and APAC regions, bringing together representatives & participants from industry, civil society, academic and the public sector to discuss online safety, how we think of digital citizenship and how to respond to the many challenges and opportunities that digital technology poses to children and families.
On Thursday March 11, the Family Online Safety Institute hosted the latest installment of its FOSI Briefs the Hill series, "In Conversation With Representatives Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) and Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10)."Â
As kids and teens spend more time on screens and devices, the impact on their mental health must be considered.
As a post-pandemic world begins to emerge, we find ourselves in a drastically altered "new normal" when it comes to the online world.
As kids and teens head back to school, families across the country and around the world are facing new challenges for this unusual school year. Students are returning to classrooms in a variety of ways, including online, hybrid, and in person — alongside anxious thoughts, worry, and apprehension.
On November 15th, FOSI hosted its live, virtual 2021 Annual Conference, Recovery & Renewal: Creating a path to a new normal. This year's event highlighted our most important insights from this past pandemic year, to ensure our new normal includes revamped best practices for ourselves, our families, and our world.
On Tuesday, February 15th, the Family Online Safety Institute and Aura, a provider of intelligent safety solutions, convened a panel discussion entitled, "Teen Relationships: The Good, The Bad, & How Parents Can Help in a Digital World." Stephen Balkam, FOSI's Founder & CEO moderated the conversation between these leading experts: Dr. David Greenfield of The Center for Internet and Technology Addiction; Erica Olsen of the National Network to End Domestic Violence; Rita Smith of DomesticShelters.org; and Ryan Toohil of Aura.
As the digital world expands into new frontiers across virtual and augmented realities, the metaverse, and more, it is imperative that the safety of young people remains paramount. Coming together in online spaces is commonplace for today's youth as they navigate complex social lives, academics, and growing up in an increasingly virtual world. On March 1st, we welcomed four youth speakers from across the US and EU for a transatlantic dialogue about the challenges and opportunities that technology brings to their lives. As part of their work on Microsoft's Council for Digital Good, panelists discussed how media literacy, digital citizenship, and personal safety impacts peers in their communities and around the globe.Â