16 honors students from Bentley -- who recently completed a Cyber Psychology course -- will present the seminar on Tuesday, February 6 at Milton High School. It is open to all parents and will address growing concerns about the pitfalls of social networking, cyber bullying and the overall impact internet technologies can have on a child's development.
"There is a big generation gap in terms of the use of computer technology," says Greg Hall, Associate Professor of Psychology, whose students will lead the seminar. "Parents need to have a greater awareness of what their kids are exposed to when they go online."
The seminar will be divided into 3 modules addressing different topics:
- Internet Safety: Issues to be discussed include what children should
do if they come across inappropriate material; cyber bullying; what to
put and not to put on social networking sites; what to do if contacted
by a stranger online
- Social Networking -- Text: Focuses on sites such as MySpace, Facebook;
parents will set up their own MySpace account to become familiar with
the site; exposure to chat rooms and internet language
- Social Networking -- Media: Focuses on fastest growing sites such as
YouTube and Photobucket
This isn't the first time these Bentley students have been asked to share their knowledge of the internet. Last semester -- as they were completing the Cyber Psychology course -- the students conducted a professional development seminar on internet safety for hundreds of Milton public school teachers.
"Dr. Hall and his students provided one of the most valuable professional development sessions ever presented to our teachers and staff," says Mary Gormley, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Personnel, Milton Public Schools.
Bentley is a national leader in business education. Centered on education and research in business and related professions, Bentley blends the breadth and technological strength of a university with the values and student focus of a small college. Enrolling approximately 4,000 full-time undergraduate and 1,270 graduate students, Bentley is located in Waltham, Mass.
