MUSCATINE, Iowa—Parents always want the best for their children, but knowing how to help them safely navigate social media and the internet can feel intimidating. With many ways for a child’s personal information to fall into the wrong hands and ever-changing apps and trends that could pose a threat to kids, parents can feel in the dark about what their children should know about using the internet and social media safely.
To help address these concerns and empower parents to keep their children safe, Collaborate Muscatine, Muscatine Community School District, the Muscatine Community Y, and the Muscatine Police Department have partnered to have Officer David Gomez speak on these topics April 21 at the Muscatine Performing Arts Center (901 Cedar Street in Muscatine) starting at 6:30 p.m. A community resource fair will proceed Gomez’s talk beginning at 5:30 p.m. Free and open to the public, any adults may attend this presentation. Parents with children in fourth grade and above may consider bringing them, but should understand the adult nature of the topics addressed.
For the past 10 years, Gomez has worked as a school resource officer, giving him a firsthand look at how social media used unsafely can endanger children. “I have a unique perspective,” he said. “I’m with the kids every day and I also arrest predators, so I see what’s on their phones.”
As Gomez gained experience identifying online threats to kids and the best ways to handle them, he started presenting his learning to interested parents, teachers, and law enforcement officers. He now travels the country sharing his learning, and has visited Iowa several times, both to present for Le Mars Community School District and to all of the D.A.R.E. program officers in the state.
David Gomez will come to Muscatine April 21 to present about internet and social media safety. Photo courtesy David Gomez.
In his talk in Muscatine, Gomez will cover several topics relating to social media safety, such as online bullying, sex trafficking threats, online drug dealers, problematic apps, and best practices for monitoring smart phone and internet usage. As Gomez explained it, “I like to let the adults know and law enforcement know the dangers of social media and how they’re bigger than they might know, but also what they can do about it.”
Following his presentation, Gomez will leave plenty of time for questions, ensuring that everyone who comes gets the information they need. Because internet threats and the best practices to mitigate them continue to evolve, Gomez hopes his talk will inspire parents, teachers, and law enforcement officers to continue educating themselves about internet and social media safety.
Gomez encourages anyone who works with kids of any age to come hear him speak, as even young children quickly grow into older children who have increasing access to the internet and social media. He would like to see continued interest in social media and online safety become more common, as it will allow people from across the country to ensure safer conditions for everyone’s children. “Schools across the nation have technology problems that have gotten way out of control, but we can address them with education,” he stressed.
