Students Taught Digital Privacy At A Young Age

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

NEW YORK (CBSMiami) - Kids are getting their first devices at younger and younger ages.

Now an experimental curriculum created by a college professor is trying to teach kids early about digital privacy.

One of the schools teaching it is St. Michael's School in Union, New Jersey where the students are social media savvy and already engrossed in a digital world.

Many of the pre-teen students at the school said they couldn't live without their phones,

Seton Hall law professor Gaia Bernstein designed the class for this pivotal moment in modern life. A study found 50% of teens feel they are addicted to their mobile devices.

"We thought there's this moment, when you get your first cell phone, where the kids are more likely to listen," said Berstein.

In addition to listening, the kids start talking and hopefully begin to understand how their actions online can impact their daily lives

"Some of that information never goes away," said student Yolanda Bromfield, "You should always keep in mind the consequences of sharing the information."

Eva Zazzalli, 11, graduated from the class earlier this year. She got her first phone a few months ago and already has three Instagram accounts.

"The most important thing I learned was probably to be aware that some of the stuff you post affects other people," said.

To graduate, the students had several homework assignments. One was to turn their phone off for an entire weekend. They also had to track how much time they spent on the phone.