Online Safety Stories from the Classroom: What Children Experience Online

Computer Science education is not only about making first steps in coding a computer to make a game, or an animation. It should include Online Safety as well - especially for the youngest users.

With over 450 students who were learning coding with online safety with us over the last 2 years, we bring you a few online safety stories that our students were sharing during our lessons - their personal experiences or experiences of their friends and someone they know. Names of students are omitted, to protect their privacy. (Note: whenever a child shares something (potentially endangering) that happened online, we immediately discuss with parents about it.)

Stories on Online Strangers

More often than not, kids get contacted by online strangers, usually while playing online games. Some of them are actually online predators, lurking for kids and youth in gaming spaces (such as Roblox, or any other that allow chat between players).

"I never went to that website again." - student, age 11

"After I came from school, I went on one website with free online games. I started playing one game, and after some time, someone sent me a message. At first, they asked me about my name, and what we should do in the game together.

But then, they asked where I live, and where my parents work. They said they're just curious. I wasn't sure if I should reply, and that person continued asking and asking. And when they asked if I was alone at home, and when my parents would come back, I got so scared that I closed the entire browser and never went to that website again. "

"But what if they ask??!" - student, age 8

"But what if they ask me about my name and home address?! Or where I go to school? That's normal to ask, I cannot just say nothing, it's rude! And lying is not nice either..."

"It cannot really be changed now anyway" - student, age 10

"Once when we were gaming online, something really, really bad happened.... I mean, really bad..." (then, I asked them to share, if they feel comfortable).

"No... it cannot really be changed now anyway. "

"Someone threatened my friend" - student, age 9

"I have a friend that once played one game, and someone told him to send his parent's credit card numbers or else they will hack their computer and find out where my friend lives. "

Stories on Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying happens in the online world. But just as bullying in real life, cyberbullying can have significant negative effect to a child's well-being (mentally, emotionally, and psychologically). It's important to educate kids to recognize it, and what to do if it happens to them, or someone they know.

"They were mean to me" - student, age 11

"Once when I was playing Minecraft, some players started bullying me during my game. They were all hitting my player and didn't allow me to do what I wanted. They also called me mean names. It was as if they all got together against me to make fun of me. "

"Yeah... we know what that is, that's normal... " - student, age 10

"... I mean, it's not normal-normal, but it's just it happens so often..."

"He changed my picture in a very bad way", student, age 10

"I am in one group where my friends are, and there is also my cousin. Once I shared a picture of me when I accomplished something. And he took that picture and changed it in a very bad way, and post it back to the group. It was so humiliating... He was then making fun of me. And he didn't remove the picture when I told him many times. And then I simply stopped communicating in that group... I didn't exit the group, some of my friends are there, but I don't talk there any more... "

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Dear parents, guardians, teachers, you have read just a couple of stories from our students. And it's heartbreaking, to say at least. Technology should be here to serve our kids' growth and well-being, and not diminish nor jeopardize it.

In the next blog, we will cover some signs that may show that your child has experienced something unpleasant in the online world, and what to do if they did.

Please share this story with anyone who may benefit from it. Feel free to post your thoughts and comments. Raising awareness and educating children about all the sides of the online world can help them be strong, resilient, and use the technology in a safe, empowering and responsible way.