Watch: Norton Shows You How to Have The Smart Talk With Your Family

By Krista Todd, Chief Marketing Officer

It’s that time of year again – back to school! In addition to the new backpacks and school supplies, many kids will be more “connected” than ever. Some may be learning, chatting, playing games or online searching during the school year. Now is an important time to have a conversation about digital safety with the kids.

Not sure where to start? Norton and National PTA have teamed up to give you a free, interactive resource that helps families set healthy tech limits together: The Smart Talk. This tool was recently updated with improvements to accessibility, inclusiveness, user experience, and content to empower families from all backgrounds, beliefs, and abilities with the resources they need to live their digital lives safely.

The Smart Talk addresses a variety of topics including privacy and safety, communications, media choices, and health and wellness, and helps families create a comprehensive technology agreement. The tool is designed to be used by caregivers and children together, and many of the questions have yes or no answers to make it easy to establish ground rules that work for you. Some questions are open ended to spark thoughtful conversations and when the agreement is complete, you and your child can sign it, save it, print it, and refer to it at any time.

For a look at how to have The Smart Talk, watch this short video of my daughter and I walking through it together.

I wish you a happy and successful back-to-school season and encourage you to have The Smart Talk with your family today.