D. Healthy Living · Healthy Living

Tech Smart: Risks Online and How to Stay Safe

D1.2 A1.4 A1.6About 45 minutes

Learning goals

I can identify risks of using the Internet, texting and gaming, including risks to my mental health, sleep and relationships.
I can recognize warning signs that someone online may not be safe.
I can describe precautions and strategies for using technology safely and in balance.

Words to know

communications technology
Tools we use to talk and share with others, like the Internet, texting, video chat and online games.

privacy settings
Choices in an app or game that control who can see your information and contact you.

digital footprint
Everything you post, share or do online. It can stay online for a long time.

online predator
An adult or older person who tries to trick or pressure children online, often by pretending to be a friend.

validation
Feeling that other people approve of you, like getting likes or comments.

social isolation
Being cut off from other people and spending most of your time alone.

block and report
Tools that stop someone from contacting you and tell the app or game about a problem.

Tech is a tool

Technology lets you video-chat with your grandparents, look up how beavers build dams, and play games with friends. It's an amazing tool. But like any tool, from a bike to a hockey stick, you need to know how to use it safely. Today you'll look closely at the risks and learn strategies to keep yourself safe and healthy.

Remember from Grade 3

You made safety guidelines for going online: keep personal information private, keep passwords secret, ask before downloading, think before you post, and tell a trusted adult about anything that feels wrong. This year you'll learn why those guidelines matter, and about some risks that are harder to see.

Risks you can see, and risks that are harder to see

Some risks are about safety. Others are about your mental health, sleep and relationships.

Risk	What it can look like	Strategy
Too much time online	Less time for active play, family and friends in person. Hard to stop.	Set time limits with your family. Balance screens with outdoor play, hobbies and people.
Weaker people skills off line	Finding it harder to talk face to face, take turns or solve problems in person.	Spend time with people in person: play, talk at meals, join a club or team.
Feeling lonely or sad	Spending most time alone with a screen; feeling down or left out after being online.	Notice how you feel after screen time. Call or meet a friend. Talk to a trusted adult.
Comparing and seeking likes	Worrying about how many likes or followers you have; comparing yourself to edited photos.	Remember that posts show only the best moments and are often edited. Your worth isn't counted in likes.
Poor sleep	Gaming or texting late at night; screen light and excitement keep your brain awake.	Screens off about an hour before bed. Charge devices outside your bedroom.
Online predators	Someone online who flatters you, gives you gifts or game coins, asks for secrets or photos, or wants to meet.	Never share personal information or photos. Never meet someone from online. Block, report and tell a trusted adult.

Risks of using communications technology, and strategies for each.

Warning signs: when an online "friend" isn't safe

Be very careful if someone you met online:

asks you to keep your chats secret,
offers gifts, money or game currency,
asks for photos, your address or your school,
asks you to move to a private chat or a different app,
says things that make you feel uncomfortable or pressured,
asks to meet in person.

These are red flags. Stop chatting, don't reply, save the messages if you can, and tell a trusted adult right away. You will not be in trouble for telling. It is never a child's fault when an adult tries to trick them.

Each message in this pretend chat is a red flag. Stop chatting, don't reply, and tell a trusted adult.

More strategies for safe, healthy tech use

Use privacy settings. Ask a grown-up to help set accounts so only people you know can see or contact you.
Use strong passwords and keep them secret (except from your grown-up).
Think before you post. Your digital footprint can last a long time. Ask: Is it kind? Is it true? Would I be okay if my teacher or grandparent saw it?
Follow age rules. Many social media apps say users must be at least 13.
Watch your time. Canada's movement guidelines for kids suggest no more than 2 hours a day of screen time for fun (not counting schoolwork).
Make a family tech plan with your grown-ups: when, where and how long.

Before you post, ask three questions. If any answer is no, don't post it.

Worked example

Let's spot the risks in a gaming story

Kai, age 9, plays an online game every night until 10:30. A player called "ProGamer22" says Kai is really skilled, sends him free skins, and asks him to chat on a different app and not tell his parents. Kai feels tired at school and has stopped going to the park with his friends.

Sleep risk: gaming until 10:30 means Kai isn't getting the 9 to 11 hours of sleep kids his age need.
Relationship risk: he has stopped playing with friends in person.
Predator red flags: flattery, free gifts, moving to a different app, and asking him to keep a secret.
Strategies: Kai should stop chatting with ProGamer22, block and report the player, and tell his parents right away. His family could set a screens-off time, keep devices out of the bedroom, and plan time at the park.

Kai faces three risks: poor sleep, losing time with friends, and a possible online predator. The most urgent step is to tell a trusted adult.

Worked example

Let's think about likes

Sofia posts a picture on a family-approved photo app. Her cousin's picture got 40 likes and hers got 6. She feels upset and wants to delete it.

Name the feeling: disappointed, maybe jealous. That's a normal feeling.
Think critically: likes depend on many things, like how many followers someone has and when they posted. They don't measure how good a person is.
Remember: many photos online are edited or show only the best moments.
Strategy: Sofia talks to her mom about it, then calls her cousin to plan a bike ride together.

Comparing and seeking likes can hurt your mood. Strong strategies: think critically, talk to someone, and spend time with people in person.

Hands-on activity

Make a family tech plan

You need: a grown-up, paper and markers.

Together, list every device in your home that connects to the Internet (TV, tablet, phone, game console, computer).
For one week, keep a simple tally of how much fun screen time you have each day.
With your grown-up, write a family tech plan with at least 5 rules. Include:

When screens are off (meals, an hour before bed).
Where devices sleep at night (outside bedrooms).
Which games and apps are okay, and who you can chat with.
What to do if something online feels wrong (stop, don't reply, tell).
One fun non-screen activity you'll do instead, like a family walk.

Everyone signs it, including the grown-ups! Post it on the fridge.

Just for fun

Why was the computer cold?

Because it left its Windows open!

Your turn

Name three risks of using the Internet, texting or gaming.

How can screens affect sleep? Give a strategy.

Name three red flags that an online "friend" may not be safe.

What should you do if you see a red flag?

What is a digital footprint?

Why can comparing likes hurt your mental health?

More practice: warm-up

True or false: it's okay to meet someone in person that you only know from a game.

Who can know your passwords?

What do privacy settings do?

Where should devices charge at night?

If something online makes you uncomfortable, who should you tell?

More practice: on your own

Leo plays video games 4 hours every day after school. What risks might he face?

Someone in a game chat says, "You're so cool! What school do you go to?" What should you do and why?

Write a "think before you post" question you could ask yourself.

Why do many social media apps have an age rule of 13?

Give two ways to keep tech from hurting your friendships.

Challenge

Explain why someone might feel lonely even after spending hours chatting online.

Your friend says, "I won't tell my parents about the weird messages because I'll lose my tablet." How could you help?

Design one rule for a family tech plan that protects mental health and explain how.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is a red flag in an online chat?

What is the best way to protect your sleep?

A gamer offers you free coins for your address. You should...

What is a digital footprint?

Which is a risk to mental health from technology?

Canada's guidelines suggest how much fun screen time a day for kids?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: This lesson covers the Grade 4 expectation to identify risks associated with the use of communications technology, including Internet use, texting, and gaming, and describe precautions and strategies for using these technologies safely (D1.2). The curriculum's examples include difficulty with interpersonal skills off line, too much time online, online predators, social isolation, depressed mood, comparing oneself and seeking validation, and unhealthy sleep.

About online predators: this is taught simply, as "red flags" and "tell an adult". Reassure your child that they will never be in trouble for telling you about something online, even if they broke a rule. Children often hide problems because they fear losing their device.

How to help at home:

Make the family tech plan together and follow it yourself too.
Set up privacy settings with your child and check games' chat settings.
Keep devices in shared spaces and out of bedrooms at night.
Ask about their online world with curiosity, not only rules.

Screen time guidance comes from the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth (no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time per day; 9 to 11 hours of sleep for ages 5 to 13).

This lesson also builds relationship skills (A1.4) and critical and creative thinking (A1.6).