“TRUST” and Our Call to Action

I recently wrote about “TRUST”, an upcoming movie that tells the story of 14 year-old Annie from a wonderful family who falls victim to an Internet predator and how true to life the movie is.  At the end, we are left with a lingering feeling of how to make sure this doesn’t happen to me or anyone I know.  As parents, we get protective and angry all the while feeling helpless.

There is, in fact, a call to action that arises out of “TRUST”.

As parents we spend countless hours talking to our kids about safety, stranger danger, avoiding danger, and staying away from strangers.   Built into all of these messages and lessons is actually a core concept – we are teaching our kids to build relationships with people they trust and not to go near those they don’t.

We’ve done a tremendous job of teaching how to trust in the real world.  And therein lies our call to action in the digital century.

Even though the online world has become a living thing that mirrors and reflects our physical world realities, our teachings have only just begun to bring those physical world lessons online.  Unfortunately, the online world doesn’t give us the opportunity to look into a stranger’s eyes and decide whether we trust them.  As adults and children, we often will be more trusting online than we will be offline.

So, here is our opportunity.  Take whatever happens online and put it in the real world and ask yourself questions you already ask everyday when interacting with new acquaintances –

–    How does what they did make me feel?
–    How does what they said (typed) make me feel?
–    Should I believe them the next time they lie?
–    Should I like them less now that they have lied to me?
–    Should I give them another chance to re-gain my confidence in them?
–    What if they do it again?
–    Can I trust them?

Take the time to see “TRUST” when it comes out in April and talk to your kids about trust online.  You’ve already done a great job in the real world, keep the dialogue going.