[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 13, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1836-S1837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              MOBILE MAMMA

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, on behalf of my constituent, Christy 
Teslow, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record 
information about a program she founded to help educate children of all 
ages about the importance of being a good digital citizen.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       Mobile Mamma is a non-profit organization which was founded 
     in 2017 in Cresco, Iowa. We are 6 moms who are working 
     professionals that use a common-sense approach to educate 
     about the impact of technology. We personally have children 
     ranging in age from kindergarten to college and wanted to be 
     better educated about using devices of daily use, with the 
     common goal to keep our children safe and secure while being 
     online. From our own research, we felt compelled to design a 
     curriculum to share with students and adults of all ages.
       Statement of the Problem. Children today are so self-
     reliant on their mobile devices which in turn has caused a 
     social disconnect with society. Children are more concerned 
     with their ``e-reputation'' and not as much of what their 
     real-life reputation is. Parents have an ethical and moral 
     role to provide children with online safety. The problem is, 
     children are not safe online and parents are unaware of the 
     detrimental dangers, harms, and effects of social media.
       Conceptual Framework. Clear and concise communication about 
     parents' expectations are especially important. Research has 
     demonstrated that teens, whose parents use effective 
     monitoring practices, are less likely to make poor decisions 
     such as having sex at a young age, smoking, using illegal 
     drugs, drinking alcohol, being physically aggressive, or 
     skipping school (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 
     2012). Teens who believe their parents disapprove of risky 
     behaviors are less likely to participate in these behaviors. 
     Teens rely on their parents and other adults in their daily 
     lives for information about online safety. In 2013, a study 
     by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention titled 
     ``Adolescents, Technology, and Reducing Risk for HIV, STDs, 
     and Pregnancy'', a participant stated ``I multitask every 
     second I am online. At this very moment, I am watching TV, 
     checking my email every two minutes, reading a newsgroup 
     about who shot JFK, burning some music to a CD, and writing 
     this message'' (a 17-year-old male). According to Farrukh, 
     Sadwick, and Villasenor (2014), parents seek information on 
     how to best protect children online through various channels. 
     Parents utilize general news media 38% of the time, other 
     parents 37%, and school teachers 29%.
       Statement of the Purpose. The purpose of the Be a B.E.A.R. 
     program is to educate children of all ages about the 
     importance of being a good digital citizen. The Be a B.E.A.R. 
     curriculum is designed to teach children from kindergarten 
     through high school about what is acceptable to portray on 
     social media and what is not acceptable. The intention of the 
     Be a B.E.A.R. program is not only designed for children but 
     can be applied to adults as well. The purpose of the program 
     is to gain a positive structured approach to handling online 
     situations.
       Significance of the Program. There is an ethical and moral 
     responsibility of schools and adults that give these devices 
     to children, to properly educate themselves and their 
     children. With the rising mental health crisis, not only in 
     Iowa but across the Nation, the devices of daily living (also 
     known as Smartphones, tablets, etc) are causing these issues. 
     Some of these issues include: low self-esteem, anxiety, 
     depression, sadness, sleeplessness, and paranoia. Due to the 
     mental health concerns, if we can get this program in schools 
     it will help give a positive

[[Page S1837]]

     use to technology by determining what a good digital 
     footprint and digital citizen are. This program continues to 
     educate both parents and children about cybersecurity/safety, 
     the potential harms and dangers associated with the evolving 
     virtual environment, and discusses in detail about the 
     responsibility needed by all ages when it comes to the 
     constant influx of technology in our children's lives. With 
     the increasing suicide rates, there is a direct correlation 
     between human trafficking, cyberbullying, and sexting that 
     are negatively impacting society.


                          Definition of Terms

       Good digital citizen: While online portraying yourself as a 
     positive person and using appropriate etiquette
       Good digital footprint: Leaving positive markers when using 
     the internet and social media sites
       B.E.A.R.:
       B = breathe, stop and take a breath before reacting to a 
     situation that may cause you negative feelings
       E = explain to the other person or parties how the negative 
     behaviors that are being portrayed are impacting you 
     personally
       A = affirm actions, your choice is to walk away, block the 
     other party on social media, and ignore
       R = report the unwanted behavior to a trusted adult such as 
     parents, teachers, or counselors.
       Timeline. Currently, we are involved with two Northeast 
     Iowa School Districts. We are using a 7-week program to 
     educate the students in the following grades kindergarten, 
     third, sixth, eighth, and eleventh about the Be a B.E.A.R. 
     program. Each student has completed a pre-test about the 
     different objectives that are covered in the core curriculum. 
     After completion of the program there will be a post-test 
     administered to determine the learning curve of the students.
       Currently, we do not have substantial results because of 
     the initiation phase we are in. After the completion of our 
     7-week program we will have results to support our statement 
     of intent.
       Conclusion. By implementing these steps of the Be a 
     B.E.A.R. program with children and adults, we can bring 
     positivity and education while being safe online.

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