How can parents help their children be wise stewards of the technology in the Internet age? Get involved.
How can organizations enact programs that will reach the Latino Community on this topic? Understand the community and the barriers they face.
The Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership (HTTP) advocates on behalf of the Latino community for increased access to, and adoption of, the technological tools that allow users to take advantage of the many benefits they offer and the telecommunications infrastructure that brings these tools together. Some of the benefits that come with increased access to technology are greater ability to find and apply for jobs and access to educational materials for children and adults alike, just to name a couple.
If access and adoption continue to grow within the Latino community, it is crucially important that programs providing training and other educational resources for parents take into account the challenges that Latino families face.
While HTTP advocates for increased access, we also recognize a need for responsible use of technology. There are countless risks associated with living in a connected world and it is imperative to understand them in order to protect family members, both young and old, from these risks.
It is important to understand online vulnerabilities that many face when accessing the Internet for the first time or without proper training and awareness. It is a known fact that Americans are, more than ever, experiencing the pains of online scams in the form of hackers, phishing, and malware, for example, and it is important to help people be wise stewards of technology in their everyday lives. These scams can allow hackers, and others with bad intentions, to do many harmful things including:
Obtain your personal information (social security number, date of birth, address, etc.)
Obtain your financial information (bank account information, for example)
Upload viruses onto your devices
Take control of your online identity on social media sites and possibly harm your online reputation (imagine a school principle’s Facebook page in the hands of an irresponsible student or a judge’s profile in the hands of a criminal).
The best way for parents to help their children become wise stewards of technology within the Internet age is to get involved. It is vital for parents to learn about the many vulnerabilities that come with increased access and to learn about the various apps, devices, and websites that their children regularly use.
Another vital component is to be proactive and continue to learn. New apps and social networks emerge seemingly daily. It is not enough to learn about a social network at one point in time. Even a site as commonly used and ubiquitous as Facebook routinely changes its layout, security settings, terms of use, and privacy policy.
Some parents might find keeping track of websites, apps, and phone functionality exhausting, and that would be understandable. But many Latino parents face additional layers of complexity on top of the sheer volume of sites and evolving vulnerabilities that can make it nearly unmanageable. These layers are a possible language barrier, lack of time, as well as a lack of sustained formal education.
In many Latino families the children tend to translate for their parents and guide them through systems with which they may not be familiar (school system, television, computer, etc.). In addition, in many instances, Latinos parents have more than one job each and have very little time to research and analyze online threats and possible ways to mitigate these threats. Lastly, without sustained formal education, which is the case for many Latino parents, it is difficult for them to protect their children from complex ever-evolving threats and vulnerabilities.
If access and adoption continue to grow within the Latino community, it is crucially important that programs providing training and other educational resources for parents take into account the challenges that Latino families face. As Latinos are the fastest growing segment of the youth, we would be remiss to not ensure that their parents have the proper tools, in their native language, to protect their children.In addition, due to a need to quickly consume and internalize the information, we also must acknowledge the need for quick reference guides or cheat sheets with pertinent information for all parents and particularly ensure these resources are available in both English and Spanish. Lastly, we must ensure that these resources are presented in a way for all, regardless of the educational level, to understand.
Image curtsy of Flickr.
Rosa Mendoza Dávila is the Founder, President and CEO of ALLvanza and it is her vision, experience, both personally and professionally, and knowledge of underserved communities that gave birth to the organization and set the tone for the organization’s critical mission of ensuring Latinxs and other underserved communities have an equal opportunity for success in our technology-driven world. Rosa’s own experience as a first generation college student incited her passion and gives her the insight to advocate for this equal opportunity.
Prior to founding ALLvanza, Rosa served as the Executive Director of the Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership (HTTP) where she informed administration officials, congressional staff, state and local representatives and other stakeholders on how telecommunications and technology policy issues impacted the Latino community. She represented HTTP at meetings, conferences, conventions and industry gatherings. Rosa expertly analyzed telecommunications and technology policy to develop advocacy briefs that brought the needs of Latinos to the forefront.
Prior to joining HTTP, Rosa served as the Manager of Special Projects for The Raben Group, where she assisted clients with coalition building, strategic planning and research, with a particular focus on the firm’s LatinStrategies division. Rosa worked with clients such as MasterCard and Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary.
Formerly, Rosa served as the Assistant Finance Director for Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX). As the primary point of contact for Congressman Cuellar, Rosa communicated with donors and constituents, coordinated fundraising events and managed logistics.
Previously, Rosa was hired as the Media Relations Executive for the Hispanic Communications Network (HCN), which designs customized radio, television and print media campaigns for the Latino market. In this role, Rosa built relationships with media affiliates, assisted with program development, and helped execute the firm’s large-scale media campaigns.
Before coming to Washington D.C., Rosa was the Coordinator for the Chicano/Latino Cultural Center and the Principal Assistant to the director of the Office of Multicultural Student Services at Washington State University.
Rosa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations and a Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis in Higher Education Administration from Washington State University.
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