Vaishnavi J is Instagram’s Global Head of Safety and Wellbeing. Vaishnavi (Vay-shna-vee) focuses on the safety and wellbeing of children — ranging from combating the sexual exploitation of minors to issues of self-injury, bullying & harassment, and teen mental health — as well as the wellbeing of adults, ranging from non-consensual intimate images to human exploitation and harassment.

Questions for Vaishnavi include:

• When it comes to the pressure to be perfect – how can parents act as a role model?
• There has been considerable attention paid to the issue of teen body image. What did you learn from that?
• What’s your advice for parents about talking to their teens about Instagram?

Discussion Prompts:

• Vaishnavi from Instagram talks about carefully choosing who you follow on your social apps and entertainment feeds. Have you ever thought about trying to intentionally follow interesting or positivity-leaning accounts? Now that you are thinking about it, what types of content would you like to follow more? (Art, music, civic action, fashion, fitness and nutrition, gaming, etc.)
• Strategies that are mentioned to help you manage how social interactions make you feel on Instagram include close friends, hiding likes, taking breaks, and muting certain accounts. Have you ever tried any of these strategies? If yes, explain what you did and how it went. If not, which do you think you might try and why?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely’s Quick-Guide to Instagram

Instagram’s Parent Guide

Instagram’s Pressure to be Perfect Guide

Kudzi Chikumbu is the Director of Creator Community at TikTok where he is responsible for developing the creator and partner community through creator marketing, partnerships, education and communication. Kudzi has developed content strategies for top and emerging creators including James Charles, Loren Gray, and Amanda Cerny.

Questions for Kudzi include:

• What do you do at TikTok?
• How do you build community on TikTok?
• What makes a successful creator on TikTok?
• How do I go viral on Tik?
• How do I fight the pressure to be perfect?
• How do you deal with negative attention?

Discussion Prompts

• Kudzi says that building community starts with communication, connection, and inclusivity. On Tik Tok and other platforms you use, do you make a point of following diverse voices? Why is it important to hear and see the content from creators whose lives are different from yours?
• Authenticity might be a buzzword or term we hear a lot, but Kudzi says creators who are authentic with their posts have the “secret sauce.” Do you feel as though you can be your real authentic self when you post online? Why or why not?
• Kudzi says, “The views are fun, but they don’t build a career or true joy.” How do you define success? How would someone know if a career as an online creator is right for them?
• Do you agree with Trish that, “You don’t have to take the bad” when it comes to social media? Do you agree that you can use Kudzi’s recommendations to manage how much negativity you will experience online?

Trisha Prabhu is a 21-year-old entrepreneur and app creator who’s using her skills to reduce cyberbullying. ReThink, the app she created as a teen, can be downloaded on phones and works across apps to detect potentially offensive or bullying content.

Questions for Trisha include:

• Why did you create the app?
• What challenges did you overcome to reach your goal?
• As you and your work became increasingly public, how did you deal with trolls and negative comments?

Discussion prompts:

• Trisha’s app, ReThink, and it’s features are discussed in the video. Do you think it would be helpful for you or someone you know? Think of a situation in which ReThink would be helpful. Share your scenario with a classmate and explain your thinking.
• How were Trisha’s age and online negativity sometimes challenges for her? How did she manage those challenges?
• So many aspiring young entrepreneurs are hesitant because they don’t believe they can make an impact. What is Trisha’s advice for pursuing a passion and making your mark on the world? Have you ever had an idea that you wanted to pursue or grow?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely’s Ask Trish Featuring Trisha Prabhu
ConnectSafely’s Guide to Stop Cyberbullying
ReThink App

Discord’s Policy Director Savannah Badalich is a gamer and human rights advocate who worked at Twitter before joining Discord. She talks about her background and why she decided to make her career in technology, plus how students can control their experience on Discord or any app.

Questions for Savannah include:

• How did you get your job?
• What can Discord users do to make their online experiences better and safer?
• What will socializing online look like in 10 years?
• What can any of us do to make the online world better?

Discussion prompts:

• Savannah’s advice for moving toward a career in exciting industries is to follow the causes that are your passions. What are the causes that interest you most? Why are you passionate about them?
• What are the privacy and safety features of Discord and other platforms you use that you have tried? If you have tried them, how do you use them? If not, what could you try?
• Savannah’s answers seem to hint that YOU, the users of Discord and other social spaces online, will get to help design and create the future of the online world. How would you like to be able to spend time with friends online in the future?

Human rights advocate and virtual reality expert Brittan Heller talks about the future of the metaverse, virtual and augmented reality and how society can make these technologies safer for youth — and everyone.

Questions for Brittan include:

• What are augmented reality and virtual reality?
• How do your body and mind respond to these “extended reality” experiences?
• What do you like about augmented reality and virtual reality? What scares you?
• How will ads work in extended reality?
• What can companies do to make these technologies safer for young people?

Discussion prompts

• How do our emotions and body respond differently to augmented and virtual reality than they respond to our phone or device screens? What are the benefits and drawbacks of this new digital opportunity?
• Why are we more susceptible to advertising and influence in virtual reality than even in the real world? Does this make you feel nervous or excited? Explain?
• What are some other ethical concerns that we should consider as we start creating with virtual reality? Some ideas to discuss include adding diverse voices to the design process, controlling how interactions happen with others in VR, and how identifying information is shared.

Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., is a Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University and Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center. He has spent his career researching cyberbullying and how to help young people best deal with it.

Questions for Sameer include:

• How common is cyberbullying?
• Has the pandemic led to more cyberbullying?
• What should students do if they are targeted?
• How can students help a friend who’s being targeted?

Discussion prompts:

• Sameer shares that 25% of online users between 12 and 17 experience some kind of online bullying (up from 17%). Does this figure sound right to you based on what you experience and what you see friends experience online?
• Sameer provides encouragement by mentioning that you “have power” when you see someone suffering. Sometimes the best way to offer support is to do what you would hope a friend would do for you? How would you want to be supported if your friends used their “power” to help you in a time of struggle?
• Sameer and Larry really want you to be able to talk with adults (parents, guardians, and teachers) when faced with a difficult situation. What do you need from adults in order for you to trust them enough to tell them?

Additional resources

Cyberbullying Research Center

We spoke with Beth Yohe of the International Bullying Prevention Association. She is also Executive Director of Denver’s Conflict Center, which teaches communication skills, consequences, negotiation, anger management classes, conflict management, and assertiveness. She is joined by London, a 9th grader in the Denver area.

Questions for Beth and London include:

• What can schools do to combat hate speech in schools?
• How do we understand our own biases?
• When it comes to a student witnessing bias and hate speech, online or off, what are strategies they can do to be an ally?

Discussion Prompts:

• Beth talks about how important it is for friends to be able to support one another when something happens online that makes them feel targeted or upset. What are some ways you would want your friends to show you support? What are some ways you can show friends support?
• London mentions anonymous reporting. Does your school have an anonymous way for you to report or speak up about an incident that happens? How could you work with the adults at your school to either create one or make the one that you have more effective?
• Beth shares that 64% of young users encounter hate speech online. Have you seen hate speech? How can you make sure you have someone to talk with about what you see next time it happens?
• Would you want to have the opportunity to talk more about diverse identities, how to manage conflict, and recognize bias in our school? How, when, and where do you think we could have those conversations here?

Additional resources

Conflict Center

International Bullying Prevention Assoc.

Parent, Educator & Youth Guide to LGBTQ Cyberbullying

Parent & Educator Guide to Combatting Hate Speech

Dani Coke is a designer turned illustrator, social justice advocate and entrepreneur who posts on Instagram at @ohhappydani. Dani creates illustrations to shed light on complex social issues and to inspire others to find their passion and make a difference.

Questions for Dani include:

• What got you started posting illustrations about social justice on Instagram?
• What do you think it is about your posts that connects with people?
• The internet and social media have lately been criticized for making hateful, hurtful things go viral – but somehow, you’ve managed to flip the script. How?
• Do you have any advice for aspiring creators, especially youth, who are watching?

Discussion Prompts

• Dani talks about the first time one of her pieces of artwork, about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, was shared online by people she didn’t know. Have you ever had a post (video, image, or text) liked or shared by people you didn’t know? Did you feel excited? Nervous? If this hasn’t happened to you, would you ever be interested in having your ideas or posts get this kind of attention? Why? Why not?
• Dani talks about how she chooses the stories and ideas she represents in her artwork and her passion really comes through as she talks. What are you passionate about? Social justice issues? Sports? Music? Art? How could you share your passion to inspire others using digital devices or apps?
• Empathy is a word Dani uses a lot. What does empathy mean to you? If you aren’t sure, look it up and then put it in your own words. Do you agree that disagreements and difficult issues would be resolved more easily with more empathy?
• Dani says, “Perfection is not a prerequisite to participation,” and also, “stumble bravely.” What have you tried that you knew you wouldn’t do perfectly, but tried anyway? How did it feel? Was it worth the risk?

Vaishnavi J is Instagram’s Global Head of Safety and Wellbeing. Vaishnavi (Vay-shna-vee) focuses on the safety and wellbeing of children — ranging from combating the sexual exploitation of minors to issues of self-injury, bullying & harassment, and teen mental health — as well as the wellbeing of adults, ranging from non-consensual intimate images to human exploitation and harassment.

Questions for Vaishnavi include:

• When it comes to the pressure to be perfect – how can parents act as a role model?
• There has been considerable attention paid to the issue of teen body image. What did you learn from that?
• What’s your advice for parents about talking to their teens about Instagram?

Discussion Prompts:

• Vaishnavi from Instagram talks about carefully choosing who you follow on your social apps and entertainment feeds. Have you ever thought about trying to intentionally follow interesting or positivity-leaning accounts? Now that you are thinking about it, what types of content would you like to follow more? (Art, music, civic action, fashion, fitness and nutrition, gaming, etc.)
• Strategies that are mentioned to help you manage how social interactions make you feel on Instagram include close friends, hiding likes, taking breaks, and muting certain accounts. Have you ever tried any of these strategies? If yes, explain what you did and how it went. If not, which do you think you might try and why?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely’s Quick-Guide to Instagram

Instagram’s Parent Guide

Instagram’s Pressure to be Perfect Guide

Kudzi Chikumbu is the Director of Creator Community at TikTok where he is responsible for developing the creator and partner community through creator marketing, partnerships, education and communication. Kudzi has developed content strategies for top and emerging creators including James Charles, Loren Gray, and Amanda Cerny.

Questions for Kudzi include:

• What do you do at TikTok?
• How do you build community on TikTok?
• What makes a successful creator on TikTok?
• How do I go viral on Tik?
• How do I fight the pressure to be perfect?
• How do you deal with negative attention?

Discussion Prompts

• Kudzi says that building community starts with communication, connection, and inclusivity. On Tik Tok and other platforms you use, do you make a point of following diverse voices? Why is it important to hear and see the content from creators whose lives are different from yours?
• Authenticity might be a buzzword or term we hear a lot, but Kudzi says creators who are authentic with their posts have the “secret sauce.” Do you feel as though you can be your real authentic self when you post online? Why or why not?
• Kudzi says, “The views are fun, but they don’t build a career or true joy.” How do you define success? How would someone know if a career as an online creator is right for them?
• Do you agree with Trish that, “You don’t have to take the bad” when it comes to social media? Do you agree that you can use Kudzi’s recommendations to manage how much negativity you will experience online?

Trisha Prabhu is a 21-year-old entrepreneur and app creator who’s using her skills to reduce cyberbullying. ReThink, the app she created as a teen, can be downloaded on phones and works across apps to detect potentially offensive or bullying content.

Questions for Trisha include:

• Why did you create the app?
• What challenges did you overcome to reach your goal?
• As you and your work became increasingly public, how did you deal with trolls and negative comments?

Discussion prompts:

• Trisha’s app, ReThink, and it’s features are discussed in the video. Do you think it would be helpful for you or someone you know? Think of a situation in which ReThink would be helpful. Share your scenario with a classmate and explain your thinking.
• How were Trisha’s age and online negativity sometimes challenges for her? How did she manage those challenges?
• So many aspiring young entrepreneurs are hesitant because they don’t believe they can make an impact. What is Trisha’s advice for pursuing a passion and making your mark on the world? Have you ever had an idea that you wanted to pursue or grow?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely’s Ask Trish Featuring Trisha Prabhu
ConnectSafely’s Guide to Stop Cyberbullying
ReThink App

Discord’s Policy Director Savannah Badalich is a gamer and human rights advocate who worked at Twitter before joining Discord. She talks about her background and why she decided to make her career in technology, plus how students can control their experience on Discord or any app.

Questions for Savannah include:

• How did you get your job?
• What can Discord users do to make their online experiences better and safer?
• What will socializing online look like in 10 years?
• What can any of us do to make the online world better?

Discussion prompts:

• Savannah’s advice for moving toward a career in exciting industries is to follow the causes that are your passions. What are the causes that interest you most? Why are you passionate about them?
• What are the privacy and safety features of Discord and other platforms you use that you have tried? If you have tried them, how do you use them? If not, what could you try?
• Savannah’s answers seem to hint that YOU, the users of Discord and other social spaces online, will get to help design and create the future of the online world. How would you like to be able to spend time with friends online in the future?

Human rights advocate and virtual reality expert Brittan Heller talks about the future of the metaverse, virtual and augmented reality and how society can make these technologies safer for youth — and everyone.

Questions for Brittan include:

• What are augmented reality and virtual reality?
• How do your body and mind respond to these “extended reality” experiences?
• What do you like about augmented reality and virtual reality? What scares you?
• How will ads work in extended reality?
• What can companies do to make these technologies safer for young people?

Discussion prompts

• How do our emotions and body respond differently to augmented and virtual reality than they respond to our phone or device screens? What are the benefits and drawbacks of this new digital opportunity?
• Why are we more susceptible to advertising and influence in virtual reality than even in the real world? Does this make you feel nervous or excited? Explain?
• What are some other ethical concerns that we should consider as we start creating with virtual reality? Some ideas to discuss include adding diverse voices to the design process, controlling how interactions happen with others in VR, and how identifying information is shared.

Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., is a Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University and Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center. He has spent his career researching cyberbullying and how to help young people best deal with it.

Questions for Sameer include:

• How common is cyberbullying?
• Has the pandemic led to more cyberbullying?
• What should students do if they are targeted?
• How can students help a friend who’s being targeted?

Discussion prompts:

• Sameer shares that 25% of online users between 12 and 17 experience some kind of online bullying (up from 17%). Does this figure sound right to you based on what you experience and what you see friends experience online?
• Sameer provides encouragement by mentioning that you “have power” when you see someone suffering. Sometimes the best way to offer support is to do what you would hope a friend would do for you? How would you want to be supported if your friends used their “power” to help you in a time of struggle?
• Sameer and Larry really want you to be able to talk with adults (parents, guardians, and teachers) when faced with a difficult situation. What do you need from adults in order for you to trust them enough to tell them?

Additional resources

Cyberbullying Research Center

We spoke with Beth Yohe of the International Bullying Prevention Association. She is also Executive Director of Denver’s Conflict Center, which teaches communication skills, consequences, negotiation, anger management classes, conflict management, and assertiveness. She is joined by London, a 9th grader in the Denver area.

Questions for Beth and London include:

• What can schools do to combat hate speech in schools?
• How do we understand our own biases?
• When it comes to a student witnessing bias and hate speech, online or off, what are strategies they can do to be an ally?

Discussion Prompts:

• Beth talks about how important it is for friends to be able to support one another when something happens online that makes them feel targeted or upset. What are some ways you would want your friends to show you support? What are some ways you can show friends support?
• London mentions anonymous reporting. Does your school have an anonymous way for you to report or speak up about an incident that happens? How could you work with the adults at your school to either create one or make the one that you have more effective?
• Beth shares that 64% of young users encounter hate speech online. Have you seen hate speech? How can you make sure you have someone to talk with about what you see next time it happens?
• Would you want to have the opportunity to talk more about diverse identities, how to manage conflict, and recognize bias in our school? How, when, and where do you think we could have those conversations here?

Additional resources

Conflict Center

International Bullying Prevention Assoc.

Parent, Educator & Youth Guide to LGBTQ Cyberbullying

Parent & Educator Guide to Combatting Hate Speech

Dani Coke is a designer turned illustrator, social justice advocate and entrepreneur who posts on Instagram at @ohhappydani. Dani creates illustrations to shed light on complex social issues and to inspire others to find their passion and make a difference.

Questions for Dani include:

• What got you started posting illustrations about social justice on Instagram?
• What do you think it is about your posts that connects with people?
• The internet and social media have lately been criticized for making hateful, hurtful things go viral – but somehow, you’ve managed to flip the script. How?
• Do you have any advice for aspiring creators, especially youth, who are watching?

Discussion Prompts

• Dani talks about the first time one of her pieces of artwork, about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, was shared online by people she didn’t know. Have you ever had a post (video, image, or text) liked or shared by people you didn’t know? Did you feel excited? Nervous? If this hasn’t happened to you, would you ever be interested in having your ideas or posts get this kind of attention? Why? Why not?
• Dani talks about how she chooses the stories and ideas she represents in her artwork and her passion really comes through as she talks. What are you passionate about? Social justice issues? Sports? Music? Art? How could you share your passion to inspire others using digital devices or apps?
• Empathy is a word Dani uses a lot. What does empathy mean to you? If you aren’t sure, look it up and then put it in your own words. Do you agree that disagreements and difficult issues would be resolved more easily with more empathy?
• Dani says, “Perfection is not a prerequisite to participation,” and also, “stumble bravely.” What have you tried that you knew you wouldn’t do perfectly, but tried anyway? How did it feel? Was it worth the risk?

Roblox’s VP of Digital Civility & Partnerships Tami Bhaumik tells us the #1 way parents can help their kids stay safe on the platform.

Questions for Tami include:

• What’s your advice for parents around screen time?
• How can Roblox better protect its players?
• What safety concerns keep you up at night?
• Roblox is rolling out age verification and “spatial voice chat.” Why now and how do they work?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely’s Parent’s Guide to Roblox
ConnectSafely’s Parent’s Quick-Guide to Roblox

Vaishnavi J is Instagram’s Global Head of Safety and Wellbeing. Vaishnavi (Vay-shna-vee) focuses on the safety and wellbeing of children — ranging from combating the sexual exploitation of minors to issues of self-injury, bullying & harassment, and teen mental health — as well as the wellbeing of adults, ranging from non-consensual intimate images to human exploitation and harassment.

Questions for Vaishnavi include:

• When it comes to the pressure to be perfect — how can parents act as a role model?
• There has been considerable attention paid to the issue of teen body image. What did you learn from that?
• What’s your advice for parents about talking to their teens about Instagram?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely’s Quick-Guide to Instagram
Instagram’s Parent Guide
Instagram’s Pressure to be Perfect Guide

Discord’s Policy Director Savannah Badalich is a gamer and human rights advocate who worked at Twitter before joining the popular chat app. Savannah talks about how Discord works, what’s behind the app’s name, and how parents can help teens use the app safely.

Questions for Savannah include:

• What is Discord?
• Where did the name come from?
• What’s the community like and how do teens use the app?
• What advice can I give my teen to help them stay safe on the app?
• How can apps like Discord protect free speech while ensuring a safe and civil experience for all?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely’s Parent’s Guide to Discord

Meta operates some of the biggest and most popular apps, including Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. Meta’s global head of safety Antigone Davis spoke with us about keeping young people not just safe but well on its platforms.

Questions for Antigone include:

• There has been a lot of talk lately about Meta products such as Instagram and Facebook being dangerous to kids and society as a whole. Can you address issues such as well-being and what Meta is doing about it?
• How does Meta balance free speech vs. content moderation?
• What’s being done to reduce bullying and harassment on the platforms?
• What is Meta doing to get rid of misinformation and disinformation?

Additional Resources

Parent’s Quick Guide to Instagram

Rosalind Wiseman, author of “Queen Bees and Wannabes” for parents of teen girls and “Masterminds & Wingmen” for parents of teen boys, is also the founder of Cultures of Dignity, an organization that works with communities to shift the way people think about young people’s physical and emotional wellbeing.

Questions for Rosalind include:

• What are parents doing right and wrong when it comes to Gen Z?
• Why should parents never say, “I understand, I was a teen once”?
• How can parents master the art of talking, not lecturing?
• What other advice do you have for parents?

Additional Resources

Cultures of Dignity

Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is the Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a Professor in the Child Study Center of Yale University. He is the lead developer of RULER, an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning that has been adopted by nearly 2,000 pre-K through high schools across the United States and in other countries.

Questions for Marc include:

• How can I talk to my kids about emotions?
• Does social media cause anxiety?
• Is cyberbullying different than traditional bullying?

Additional Resources

MarcBrackett.com
Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence RULER program

Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., is a Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University and Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center. He is recognized internationally for his groundbreaking work on the subjects of cyberbullying and safe social media use.

Questions for Sameer includes:

• Media seem to portray cyberbullying and online harassment as an epidemic. How common is it, really?
• Do most young cyberbullying targets know their bully from school or are they mostly strangers?
• How can I get my child to open up to me if they’re being cyberbullied?
• My son told me his friend is being cyberbullied. What should I do?

Additional Resources

Cyberbullying Research Center
Parent’s Guide to Cyberbullying
Parent’s Quick-Guide to Cyberbullying

Human rights advocate and virtual reality expert Brittan Heller talks about the future of the metaverse, virtual and augmented reality and how society can make these technologies safer for youth — and everyone.

Questions for Brittan include:

• What are augmented reality and virtual reality?
• How do your body and mind respond to these “extended reality” experiences?
• What do you like about augmented reality and virtual reality? What scares you?
• How will ads work in extended reality?
• Should parents be concerned about the effect of extended reality on their children?
• What can companies do to make these technologies safer for young people?

We talked to TikTok’s senior counsel and director of tech policy Lisa Hayes. Lisa helps TikTok develop and implement policies to improve the platform for its users.

Questions for Lisa include:

• What is your role at TikTok?
• What is an online challenge? What is a “hoax challenge”?
• Dangerous challenges have been in the news lately. How common are they? How can parents talk to their teens about challenges?
• How can young people protect their safety on TikTok? What role can parents play?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely Parent’s Guide to TikTok

ConnectSafely’s Parents Quick-Guide to TikTok

Tom Kamber is the founder and executive director of Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) and SeniorPlanet.org. He is a leading expert on aging and technology.

Questions for Tom include:

• What are the major issues facing seniors when it comes to technology?
• How can seniors use technology to enhance their lives?
• How can families help seniors with technology?

Additional Resources

SeniorPlanet.org
ConnectSafely’s Resources for Seniors
OATS

Dr. Michael Rich is a pediatrician and Director of the Boston Children’s Hospital Digital Wellness Lab. He’s also a part-time Associate Professor of Pediatrics, at Harvard Medical School, Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and practices Adolescent Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Many parents know him as The Mediatrician who provides research-based answers to parents’ questions.

Questions for Dr. Rich include:

• We hear a lot about the problems associated with remote learning and the isolation of children. What is the impact of this?
• What’s your take on screen time?
• How do you know if your child is having an online issue that you need to help them with?
• Parents often feel out of touch with their children’s gaming or social media. How can parents bridge the gap?

Additional Resources

Digital Wellness Lab

We spoke with Beth Yohe of the International Bullying Prevention Association. She is also Executive Director of Denver’s Conflict Center, which teaches communication skills, consequences, negotiation, anger management classes, conflict management, and assertiveness. She is joined by London, a 9th grader in the Denver area.

Questions for Beth and London include:

• What can schools do to combat hate speech in schools?
• How do we understand our own biases?
• How do we increase our own resilience?
• When it comes to a student witnessing bias and hate speech, online or off, what are strategies they can do to be an ally?

Additional Resources

Parent’s and Educator’s Guide to Combatting Hate Speech
Parent, Educator & Youth Guide to LGBTQ Cyberbullying

We speak with two of Microsoft’s safety leaders: Liz Thomas, who coordinates global engagement on digital safety issues, and Laylah Bulman, who works on Minecraft: Education Edition, where she spearheaded the creation of Minecraft Esports and Microsoft Esports Teacher Academy.

Questions for Liz and Laylah include:

• For the past 6 years, Microsoft has sponsored digital civility research. The 2021 Digital Civility scores seem to have improved over 2020 and much of the improvement is driven by teen boys. Can you explain what you found?
• What did online civility look like during remote learning?
• What do kids learn while gaming?

Shaelynn Farnsworth is the director of educator network expansion for the News Literacy Project. Shaelynn has over 20 years of experience in education. She spent the first part of her career as a high school English teacher in Conrad, Iowa, where she reimagined teaching and learning in her classroom and became a leader in the convergence between literacy and technology. Shaelynn focused on developing student skills in information consumption, creating innovative ways for students to demonstrate understanding, and inspiring healthy skepticism in the digital age.

Questions for Shaelynn include:

• What is the difference between misinformation and disinformation?
• What are some red flags to look for when analyzing news?
• How do I deal with family or friends who believe in disinformation?
• What can we do to fight disinformation?
• How can parents talk to kids and teens about news literacy?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely Parent’s & Educator’s Guide to Media Literacy and False Information
News Literacy Project

Lynette T. Owens is founder and global director of Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids and Families program.

Questions for Lynette include:

• How can parents teach their kids about cybersecurity?
• How can they talk to their kids and teens about identity theft?
• What is the Internet Safety for Kids and Families program and what does it do?
• What are your thoughts about screen time? How do you talk to your kids about it?

Additional Resources

Trend Micro Cyber Academy

Catherine Teitelbaum is the Principal, Family Trust for Amazon Kids, working to ensure that digital and hardware products including Amazon Kids, Amazon Kids+, Parent Dashboard, Fire Kids Edition tables, and Echo Dot Kids Editions continue to earn the trust of families around the world. Catherine is a former educator and recognized pioneer in online safety.

Questions for Catherine include:

• How do Amazon’s parental controls work
• How can parents help their kids develop healthy habits when it comes to technology?
• How can parents connect with their kids through technology?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely Family Guide to Parental Controls
Parent’s Guide to Amazon Parent Dashboard

Roblox’s VP of Digital Civility & Partnerships Tami Bhaumik tells us the #1 way parents can help their kids stay safe on the platform.

Questions for Tami include:

• What’s your advice for parents around screen time?
• How can Roblox better protect its players?
• What safety concerns keep you up at night?
• Roblox is rolling out age verification and “spatial voice chat.” Why now and how do they work?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely’s Parent’s Guide to Roblox
ConnectSafely’s Parent’s Quick-Guide to Roblox

Vaishnavi J is Instagram’s Global Head of Safety and Wellbeing. Vaishnavi (Vay-shna-vee) focuses on the safety and wellbeing of children — ranging from combating the sexual exploitation of minors to issues of self-injury, bullying & harassment, and teen mental health — as well as the wellbeing of adults, ranging from non-consensual intimate images to human exploitation and harassment.

Questions for Vaishnavi include:

• When it comes to the pressure to be perfect — how can parents act as a role model?
• There has been considerable attention paid to the issue of teen body image. What did you learn from that?
• What’s your advice for parents about talking to their teens about Instagram?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely’s Quick-Guide to Instagram
Instagram’s Parent Guide
Instagram’s Pressure to be Perfect Guide

Discord’s Policy Director Savannah Badalich is a gamer and human rights advocate who worked at Twitter before joining the popular chat app. Savannah talks about how Discord works, what’s behind the app’s name, and how parents can help teens use the app safely.

Questions for Savannah include:

• What is Discord?
• Where did the name come from?
• What’s the community like and how do teens use the app?
• What advice can I give my teen to help them stay safe on the app?
• How can apps like Discord protect free speech while ensuring a safe and civil experience for all?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely’s Parent’s Guide to Discord

Meta operates some of the biggest and most popular apps, including Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. Meta’s global head of safety Antigone Davis spoke with us about keeping young people not just safe but well on its platforms.

Questions for Antigone include:

• There has been a lot of talk lately about Meta products such as Instagram and Facebook being dangerous to kids and society as a whole. Can you address issues such as well-being and what Meta is doing about it?
• How does Meta balance free speech vs. content moderation?
• What’s being done to reduce bullying and harassment on the platforms?
• What is Meta doing to get rid of misinformation and disinformation?

Additional Resources

Parent’s Quick Guide to Instagram

Rosalind Wiseman, author of “Queen Bees and Wannabes” for parents of teen girls and “Masterminds & Wingmen” for parents of teen boys, is also the founder of Cultures of Dignity, an organization that works with communities to shift the way people think about young people’s physical and emotional wellbeing.

Questions for Rosalind include:

• What are parents doing right and wrong when it comes to Gen Z?
• Why should parents never say, “I understand, I was a teen once”?
• How can parents master the art of talking, not lecturing?
• What other advice do you have for parents?

Additional Resources

Cultures of Dignity

Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is the Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a Professor in the Child Study Center of Yale University. He is the lead developer of RULER, an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning that has been adopted by nearly 2,000 pre-K through high schools across the United States and in other countries.

Questions for Marc include:

• How can I talk to my kids about emotions?
• Does social media cause anxiety?
• Is cyberbullying different than traditional bullying?

Additional Resources

MarcBrackett.com
Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence RULER program

Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., is a Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University and Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center. He is recognized internationally for his groundbreaking work on the subjects of cyberbullying and safe social media use.

Questions for Sameer includes:

• Media seem to portray cyberbullying and online harassment as an epidemic. How common is it, really?
• Do most young cyberbullying targets know their bully from school or are they mostly strangers?
• How can I get my child to open up to me if they’re being cyberbullied?
• My son told me his friend is being cyberbullied. What should I do?

Additional Resources

Cyberbullying Research Center
Parent’s Guide to Cyberbullying
Parent’s Quick-Guide to Cyberbullying

Human rights advocate and virtual reality expert Brittan Heller talks about the future of the metaverse, virtual and augmented reality and how society can make these technologies safer for youth — and everyone.

Questions for Brittan include:

• What are augmented reality and virtual reality?
• How do your body and mind respond to these “extended reality” experiences?
• What do you like about augmented reality and virtual reality? What scares you?
• How will ads work in extended reality?
• Should parents be concerned about the effect of extended reality on their children?
• What can companies do to make these technologies safer for young people?

We talked to TikTok’s senior counsel and director of tech policy Lisa Hayes. Lisa helps TikTok develop and implement policies to improve the platform for its users.

Questions for Lisa include:

• What is your role at TikTok?
• What is an online challenge? What is a “hoax challenge”?
• Dangerous challenges have been in the news lately. How common are they? How can parents talk to their teens about challenges?
• How can young people protect their safety on TikTok? What role can parents play?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely Parent’s Guide to TikTok

ConnectSafely’s Parents Quick-Guide to TikTok

Tom Kamber is the founder and executive director of Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) and SeniorPlanet.org. He is a leading expert on aging and technology.

Questions for Tom include:

• What are the major issues facing seniors when it comes to technology?
• How can seniors use technology to enhance their lives?
• How can families help seniors with technology?

Additional Resources

SeniorPlanet.org
ConnectSafely’s Resources for Seniors
OATS

Dr. Michael Rich is a pediatrician and Director of the Boston Children’s Hospital Digital Wellness Lab. He’s also a part-time Associate Professor of Pediatrics, at Harvard Medical School, Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and practices Adolescent Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Many parents know him as The Mediatrician who provides research-based answers to parents’ questions.

Questions for Dr. Rich include:

• We hear a lot about the problems associated with remote learning and the isolation of children. What is the impact of this?
• What’s your take on screen time?
• How do you know if your child is having an online issue that you need to help them with?
• Parents often feel out of touch with their children’s gaming or social media. How can parents bridge the gap?

Additional Resources

Digital Wellness Lab

We spoke with Beth Yohe of the International Bullying Prevention Association. She is also Executive Director of Denver’s Conflict Center, which teaches communication skills, consequences, negotiation, anger management classes, conflict management, and assertiveness. She is joined by London, a 9th grader in the Denver area.

Questions for Beth and London include:

• What can schools do to combat hate speech in schools?
• How do we understand our own biases?
• How do we increase our own resilience?
• When it comes to a student witnessing bias and hate speech, online or off, what are strategies they can do to be an ally?

Additional Resources

Parent’s and Educator’s Guide to Combatting Hate Speech
Parent, Educator & Youth Guide to LGBTQ Cyberbullying

Shaelynn Farnsworth is the director of educator network expansion for the News Literacy Project. Shaelynn has over 20 years of experience in education. She spent the first part of her career as a high school English teacher in Conrad, Iowa, where she reimagined teaching and learning in her classroom and became a leader in the convergence between literacy and technology. Shaelynn focused on developing student skills in information consumption, creating innovative ways for students to demonstrate understanding, and inspiring healthy skepticism in the digital age.

Questions for Shaelynn include:

• What is the difference between misinformation and disinformation?
• What are some red flags to look for when analyzing news?
• How do I deal with family or friends who believe in disinformation?
• What can we do to fight disinformation?
• How can parents talk to kids and teens about news literacy?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely Parent’s & Educator’s Guide to Media Literacy and False Information
News Literacy Project

Lynette T. Owens is founder and global director of Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids and Families program.

Questions for Lynette include:

• How can parents teach their kids about cybersecurity?
• How can they talk to their kids and teens about identity theft?
• What is the Internet Safety for Kids and Families program and what does it do?
• What are your thoughts about screen time? How do you talk to your kids about it?

Additional Resources

Trend Micro Cyber Academy

Catherine Teitelbaum is the Principal, Family Trust for Amazon Kids, working to ensure that digital and hardware products including Amazon Kids, Amazon Kids+, Parent Dashboard, Fire Kids Edition tables, and Echo Dot Kids Editions continue to earn the trust of families around the world. Catherine is a former educator and recognized pioneer in online safety.

Questions for Catherine include:

• How do Amazon’s parental controls work
• How can parents help their kids develop healthy habits when it comes to technology?
• How can parents connect with their kids through technology?

Additional Resources

ConnectSafely Family Guide to Parental Controls
Parent’s Guide to Amazon Parent Dashboard