In class this week, we had a guest speaker come and talk to the class about privacy and internet safety. Jesse Miller of Mediated Reality gave us a lot of advice on how to talk to students about internet safety and privacy as well as how to navigate our own internet presence.

I thought what he said about network citizenship was especially interesting. I liked how he said that we should be teaching our students that while they might be able to do something (for example, take a video of someone), that does not mean that they should because they have certain responsibilities as the citizens of a network.

I also thought it was interesting what he said about how even though many people think that increased screen time has led to mental health issues in children, it is just as likely that the increase in mental illness is really just an increase in reported mental illness. We see more mental health issues now because people are more likely to get diagnosed than in the past.

I also thought it was interesting that he said that it was bad to take phones away from students. A few of my other professors have advocated for making sure that students do not use their phones during class.