Time:  Jun 15, 2022
Location:  12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Location:  Virtual
Topics
Character Development |
Civic Engagement |
Social Media |
Social Relationships

How do characteristics and values such as kindness and compassion develop in children? What do we know about kindness and other prosocial behaviors online? What can I do to help myself and my children become responsible, respectful, and kind digital citizens on social media and other online environments?

While digital platforms can be valuable tools for social connection, they can also easily become unmediated spaces for damaging and negative communication. As children increasingly turn to social media and online communities as an outlet for self-expression and socialization, it’s vital to build awareness of kindness and character in digital spaces and the real impacts of online behavior on others. On June 15, 2022, at 12pm via Zoom, Children and Screens’ #AskTheExperts webinar “The Golden Rule: Cultivating Kindness and Character Online” examined the development of traits such as kindness and empathy, and how these qualities can be promoted and fostered in online and offline behavior. An outstanding panel of parenting experts, educators, and researchers in positive psychology discussed how prosocial behaviors develop across childhood, how youth can learn to engage in altruistic behaviors, and steps parents and educators can take to guide them towards cultivating a culture of kindness in their online world.

Speakers

  • Stephen Post, PhD

    Director; Professor of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics; Stony Brook University
    Moderator

  • Thomas Lickona, PhD

    Professor Emeritus of Education; Director Center for the Fourth and Fifth Rs (Respect and Responsibility), State University of New York at Cortland

  • Richard Weissbourd, EdD

    Senior Lecturer on Education; Faculty Director Human Development and Psychology, Harvard Graduate School of Education

  • Eva Telzer, PhD

    Co-Director; Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Winston National Center on Technology Use, Brain, and Psychological Development; UNC Chapel Hill

Video and Resources

Watch a recording of the webinar "The Golden Rule: Cultivating Kindness and Character Online," read the transcript, and view other related content in Learn and Explore.

Watch the webinar