Tusker 101 Students Present Digital Safety Tips to Younger Students

Tusker 101 students from Somers High School participate in a variety of activities throughout the year that involve working with students in the other Somers School District buildings.

Recently, Tusker 101 students volunteered their time to visit Somers Intermediate School for presentations on digital citizenship and online safety. They presented in small groups to fourth and fifth-grade students about the possible dangers of being online while using social media and video games.

“I did this presentation voluntarily,” said Lauren Crispino. “Due to my own experiences, I am very passionate about digital wellbeing.”

“I wanted to show the fourth and fifth graders that they were not the only kids who were struggling with social media issues,” added Alexa Ernst.

The presentations covered a variety of topics, including social media, online gaming, cyberbullying, and online safety. Students spoke about the different online platforms and used real-life examples to illustrate their points. They also reinforced how what happens online can stay with you longer than expected.

“One of the most important lessons to me was how what you do online affects your future self,” added Crispino. “I think this is very important for younger kids to know, so they have more caution online and understand how it can impact things like college admission or future careers.”

As part of their presentation, students completed worksheets covering various scenarios of online dangers and worked together to brainstorm ideas about what to do in those situations. Presentations were engaging and got students interacting with each other about online safety in a way that will stick with them outside of the classroom.

“I enjoy spending time with kids and wanted to teach them,” said Julia Greco. “It is important because when they learn young, the information will stick with them. I think having a presentation like this would have helped me avoid some of the problems I went through with social media.”