Where to start…

If you’ve started wondering what your children are doing online, but still aren’t sure, here is a list of documentaries that you should start watching.

This list was compiled by Jodie Sherrill, for the “Parenting in a Tech World” Facebook group. The group is fantastic, informative and I highly recommend joining. The paradox is that I’m trying to keep my kids off social media, so it’s not stellar role modeling for me to always be on Facebook.

https://m.facebook.com/notes/parenting-in-a-tech-world/documentaries-videos/408889469741099/?refid=18&__tn__=R

• Childhood 2.0
  (NR / 1h 28m)
  Childhood 2.0 is required viewing for anyone who wants to better understand the world their children are navigating as they grow up in the digital age. Featuring actual parents and kids as well as industry-leading experts in child safety and development, this documentary dives into the real-life issues facing kids today — including cyberbullying, online predators, suicidal ideation, and more. Find more resources at: childhood2movie.com

• Social Media Dangers Exposed by Mom Posing as an 11-Year Old
  (NR / 9m 32s)
  Watch this undercover “child” come face-to-face with a predator who contacted her online. What happens over the course of this new mini-documentary happens to real children all the time. You need to see what kids in your community might be facing at this very moment so you can help stop it. Resources included and linked to learn more about how online predators operate as well as how to help keep your kids safer online and in real life.

• Digital Citizenship for Kids: A Video About Online Strangers
  (FOR KIDS!! / 3m 8s)
  Are you a parent looking for a resource to teach your child about digital citizenship and good online safety habits? This video is a great introduction! It can be difficult for kids of all ages to understand how easy it is for an adult to pretend to be another kid online. This friendly video shows how quickly that can happen and explains exactly what a child should do if they find themselves in that situation.

• Audrie & Daisy | Netflix
  (TV14 / 1h 38m)
  In this wrenching documentary, two teens are sexually assaulted by boys they considered friends, humiliated online and harassed by their communities. This heartbreaking documentary earned a Grand Jury Prize nomination at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

• #Being13: Inside the Secret World of Teens
  (NR / 42m)
  A CNN special report

• Breck's Last Game
  (Recommended age 15 / 4m 23sec.)
  YouTube / Breck’s Last Game is a short film about 14-year-old Breck Bednar who was murdered by a man he met on a gaming site.

• The Bully
  (NR / 6m 37sec)
  YouTube / A 12 year old 7th grade student from Illinois created a poignant message about the impact of bullying and cyberbullying. Additionally, he provides tips and encouragement for those who are being bullied.

• Connect
  (Recommended age 7+ / 1h 11m)
  In a social media-centered world, the smart phone has become a cultural rite of passage for kids. But is that rite all wrong? How can this generation of parents blaze a new trail to equip their kids with the tools to thrive in an ever-changing digital environment while steering clear of the dangers that unlimited access brings? Kirk Cameron went to the experts and what he learned will enlighten, challenge, and encourage parents.

• Eighth Grade
  (Rated R / 1h 33m)
  Thirteen-year-old Kayla endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school—the end of her thus far disastrous eighth grade year—before she begins high school.

• Follow This: part 2, episode 6: “A Deadly Prank” | Netflix
  (Rated TVMA / 17m)
  Netflix / Swatting, a type of prank that sends police on an armed raid, can turn fatal. Ahmed Ali Akbar talks to a serial swatter, a victim’s family, and others.

• I am Jane Doe
  (Rated 15+ / 1h 38m)
  American mothers wage a battle against sex trafficking on behalf of their daughters.

• Kayleigh's Love Story - Full Version
  (Recommended age 15 / 5m 30sec)
  YouTube / Kayleigh’s Love Story is a film about aspects of the last 13 days of the life of 15-year-old Kayleigh Haywood after meeting someone online.

• Like
  (NR / Recommended 10+ / 49m / Only available through a community screening)
  A documentary about the impact of social media on our lives.

• NetSmartz Videos
  (Multiple Videos for kids and teens) explore cyberbullying, online exploitation, and more. These differentiated video series present digital safety lessons in a fun and age-appropriate manner. Younger audiences learn with Nettie, Webster, and Clicky, the internet safety robot, while tweens engage with the animated cast of NS High. For teens, real-life stories and interviews with teenagers across the country provide the basis for real-world learning.

• Predators 101: Alicia's Story
  (NR / 5m 23s)
  YouTube / At the age of 13, Alicia Kozakiewicz, ran away from her home to meet with an individual she had been communicating with online. Alicia, her mom Mary, and the District Attorney involved in Alicia's rescue share their nightmare story and stress the critical role every parent must play in protecting their children online.

• Screenagers
  (Recommended age 10+ / 1h 7m / Only available through a community screening)
  An award-winning film that probes into the vulnerable corners of family life and depicts struggles over social media, video games and academics. The film offers solutions on how we can help our kids navigate the digital world.

• ScreenTime - Diane Sawyer Reporting
  (NR / 6m48s) - Original full length 1h 22m episode has been removed by network! 😩
  For six months, Sawyer and her team traveled across the country talking to families, teachers, doctors and even tech insiders to pursue questions, answers and solutions. From coast to coast, a question: People love the wonders of technology, but have they become too consumed with the little screens in their pockets?

• Searching
  (PG13 / 1h 42m)
  David Kim becomes desperate when his 16-year-old daughter, Margot, disappears and an immediate police investigation leads nowhere. He soon decides to search the one place that no one else has: Margot's laptop. Hoping to trace her digital footprints, David contacts her friends and looks at photos and videos for any possible clues to her whereabouts.

• Social Animals | Netflix
  (TVMA / 1h 27m)
  This documentary follows a trio of teens -- a daredevil photographer, an aspiring model and a lonely Ohio girl -- and Instagram's impact on their lives.

• The Social Dilemma | Netflix
  (PG13 / 1h 34m)
  This documentary-drama hybrid explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations.

• The Dangers Of Social Media (Child Predator Experiment) Girl Edition
  (NR / 7m)
  YouTube / Coby Persin goes undercover to show how easy it is for a pedophile to pick up an underage female child using social media.

• The Dangers Of Social Media (Child Predator Experiment) Boy Edition
  (NR / 8m 34sec)
  YouTube / Coby Persin goes undercover to show how easy it is for a pedophile to pick up an underage male child using social media.

• Social Media Predators | The Mel Robbins Show
  (NR / 43m 22sec)
  YouTube / Are your kids protected online? Do you know the dangers they face? Mel talks about the warning signs and how to help you understand how to keep your kids safe. Mel warns: Strong content / graphic material discussed.

• Trafficked
  (NC17 / 1h 44m)
  After being forced into slavery in the international sex trade, three young women from India, Nigeria and the United States attempt to escape from a brothel in Texas.

• Understanding Teen Sexting Part 1: The Legal Consequences
  (NR / 10m 46sec)
  YouTube / This video interviews an ex police officer to discuss the legal consequences of teen texting.

• Understanding Teen Sexting Part 2: The Psychological Consequences
  (NR / 14m 16sec)
  YouTube / This video discusses the psychological consequences of teen sexting.

• Young woman fights back against cyber predators
  (NR / 7m 3sec)
  YouTube / Cyber criminals online are preying on kids on social media with a new form of digital terror. One brave young woman takes a stand against the vicious crime.

• You're Losing Your Kids to Social Media: Internet Safety
  (Recommended age 10+ / 1h 43m)
  YouTube / Do you know what your kids are doing on the internet? Officer Gomez knows what kids are doing and what parents need to know to keep their kids safe. Please join us for a free seminar that will educate students and parents together. This seminar covers what you need to know about what’s happening with social media in today’s elementary, middle, and high schools. The free seminar will cover topics such as: Dangerous Applications, Bullying, Sexting, Predators, Hidden Dangers, Best Practices for Parents, Phone Controls, & School Issues.

Following on from the Netflix documentary, the Social Dilemma, comes a documentary aimed at parents to open our eyes about what our children are up to online.

https://www.childhood2movie.com/