Although misinformation isn’t nearly as horrific as the loss of human life, it’s nevertheless harmful. It can inflame tensions, be used as propaganda and erode trust in legitimate news. In some cases, it can put people in danger if it causes them to make and act on dangerous decisions.

ConnectSafely Eduction Director Kerry Gallagher on Looksmaxxing. A manosphere term that “refers to the practice of maximizing your physical attractiveness — methodically, relentlessly, and by any means necessary.” Teen boys see videos from creators arguing that physical appearance is the only way to measure a person’s value, pushing a mix of strategies that range from moisturizing skin to limb lengthening surgery, and cruelly tearing down others who do not meet the physical attractiveness standard set by the trend. The most popular looksmaxxing creator is called Clavicular, who is creating a following with its own culture and vocabular

Advice on how to identify "pink slime" so-called news sites that mix facts with propaganda

There are already some fake news stories about the war with Iran including a video of a of ship being bombed that was actually a clip from a video game and exagerated videos of destruction in Israel.

A teenage panelist at ConnectSafely's Safer Internet Day event expressed concerns about how AI can harm teenage girls and others whose images can be manipulated in ways that take away their autonomy.

ConnectSafely Education Director Kerry Gallagher has advice for parents worried about the impact of social media on their teen's self image.

ConnectSafely and the National PTA have produced a one-hour webinar and podcat to help parents navigatge screens with children and teens

A “zero-day attack” is when a vulnerability is known — potentially by hackers — before it has been fixed, and that recently occurred with Windows. Microsoft has updated the software to address these recent vulnerabilities, but it’s up to users to update their systems.

Tuesday is Safer Internet Day when ConnectSafely and National PTA will hold a webinar while encouraging families around the country to have their own conversations about online safety.

An increasing number of young people, including some young children, are using generative AI, which is why parents and educators should provide some guidance on how to use it safety and appropriately.