Online Safety

The Department of Justice has recreated a free resource for families called the NC Department of Justice Family Tech Agreement.  As you know, keeping our kids safe wherever they are is job one for us all – and more and more, kids are spending their time online.  Recent reports indicate that on average, 8- to 12-year-olds use screens for more than five and a half hours a day, and 13- to 18-year-olds use screens for more than eight and a half hours a day.  According to a recent advisory by the U.S. Surgeon General, up to 95% of youth ages 13–17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use social media “almost constantly” and nearly 40% of children ages 8–12 use social media.

In creating the Family Tech Agreement, the NC Department of Justice hopes to provide parents and caregivers – many of whom grew up before the age of smart phones and social media – with a resource to start critical conversations about online safety and responsible screen time.