Google will teach pre-teen children to protect themselves from online troubles

Google is spearheading an educational campaign to teach pre-teen children how to protect themselves from scams, predators and other trouble. The program announced Tuesday is called "Be Internet Awesome." Google coordinated the curriculum with several online safety groups, including the Family Online Safety Institute, the Internet Keep Safe Coalition and Connect Safely.

The lessons are tailored for kids ranging from eight to 12 years old, a time when many of today's children are getting their own smartphones and other devices that connect to the internet. To make the experience more fun, Google and its partners developed a game called "Interland" to help teach children about the ins and outs of online safety. Google is encouraging teachers to use elements of its program in their classrooms, too.

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The Chromebook has gone from a standing start in 2011 to wild popularity in the market for education technology, which tech companies have traditionally viewed as a critical way to win over the next generation of users. In 2016, mobile devices running Alphabet Inc’s Google’s Chrome operating system accounted for 58 percent of the U.S. market for primary and secondary schools, according to Futuresource Consulting.

The company also introduced a new code-builder in May 2017  in addition to its Minecraft education edition to help students learn coding skills through the popular game in May 2017.

Associated Press