District 127 students returned to school this year as they do every year. However, this time, a well-known guest speaker greeted them with a scare.
Jesse Weinberger, commonly known as Big Momma, spoke to both students and parents in an effort to curb the issues teens and parents have on social media and the internet as a whole. Unlike previous speakers, this one made an impact.
Weinberger, a renowned author and public speaker, has traveled all over the country to speak to schools on the importance of internet safety.
“My kids will never see Roblox again,” stated English teacher Mr. Fries, who was deeply impacted by Weinberg’s presentation. “Jesse was so good and so knowledgeable; she had a wonderful way of sharing her opinions on very tough topics. I could have listened to her speak for hours.”
The staff and students saw a similar but much less in-depth presentation on August 21 and 22. The presentation outlined many simple yet substantial concepts that usually go over parents’ heads.
Many of the staff at the school believed that they had a small to solid understanding of the internet, such as teacher and mother, Mrs. Hoguet. After the presentation, Hoguet realized she “was wrong and actually I [she] had a small understanding.”
Despite all the intimidating and dire content on the internet, there are simple tweaks that parents can make to significantly increase internet safety and lower the risk of internet and social media scams.
According to Weinberger, the “biggest mistake parents make about social media is not realizing that all of these things can happen to their child.” For parents to better understand the dangers of the internet, they first need to accept the fact that the internet is dangerous and anyone, including their kids, could be at risk of phishing scams or predators.
According to the National Library of Medicine, in an experiment conducted on 228 parents, 98% of the 228 used social media, and 75% of the parents who used social media published content of or relating to their children. This small-scale experiment applies to our real lives, with parents often posting photos and videos of their children and personal lives.
As Weinberger said, when parents post their children on social media, they are “exposing them to potential issues.” Issues such as stalking, identity theft, bullying, manipulation, and scams. Scenarios that once seemed so far-fetched have now become a reality and can be significantly reduced by simply not posting your children on a public account, if at all.
Additionally, parents can significantly reduce their internet safety by not clicking links sent to them. Whether it looks legitimate or not, it can be very risky to click a link, as it could lead to a breach of personal data.
Instead of clicking the link in the email or text, parents should “separately go to that site and then log in outside of that email,” as stated by Weinberger. This way, parents can ensure that the notification is legit and not some type of scam.
With all that said, it is essential to remember that numerous resources are available for individuals seeking to learn more about safeguarding themselves and their families from internet dangers.
Jesse Weinberger’s podcast ‘Big Mama’s House Podcast’ is an incredible resource available to anyone on the internet.
