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Back to School: Digital Resilience Association Reminds Parents and Educators About Cybersecurity for Children and Teens
As the new school year begins, the Digital Resilience Association reminds us: along with textbooks and school projects, children are returning to the digital environment. Now is a particularly important time to focus on cybersecurity. This article explains how to engage children and teenagers in responsible and safe online behavior.
The Situation in Kyrgyzstan
Children and adolescents in Kyrgyzstan are spending more and more time online: studying, socializing, gaming, and using social media. Yet risks are also growing — cyberbullying, phishing, fraud, and personal data leaks.
Although the younger generation is often called “digital natives,” they are among the most vulnerable to modern online threats. To change this, it is crucial not only to teach digital literacy but also to foster resilient online behavior, responsibility, and an understanding of the value of personal information.
Practical Ways to Teach Cybersecurity
- Games and Simulations
Learning can be fun: online games can help children discover how to create strong passwords, recognize phishing attempts, and protect themselves from cyberbullying. - Gamified Security Challenges
Turn learning into a challenge: who can create the strongest password, who spots the suspicious message first, who can properly configure privacy settings on social media. This competitive format resonates strongly with teenagers. - Real-Life Assignments
Give children practical scenarios: changing security settings on their phone, checking app updates, or explaining how to respond when encountering a suspicious file or device.
Core Principles to Teach
- Core 4:
- Use strong passwords
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Regularly update software
- Learn to recognize phishing
- Open Communication: Parents should discuss their children’s digital lives and be ready to help if problems arise.
- Responsibility and Leadership: Teenagers can go beyond protecting themselves and become ambassadors of digital literacy among peers — for example, by joining school projects or initiatives led by the Digital Resilience Association.
Why This Matters for Kyrgyzstan
Today, Kyrgyzstan is actively developing digital services and government platforms. But alongside this growth, cases of online fraud — including those targeting children and teenagers — are on the rise. The earlier we start teaching safe online behavior, the stronger Kyrgyzstan’s digital future will be.
The Digital Resilience Association calls on parents, educators, and civil society organizations to work together on fostering digital culture among youth. Cybersecurity is not only about technology — it is about building a safe and responsible future for society.
📌 Source: staysafeonline.org – Getting Kids and Teens to Care About Cybersecurity