Your digital footprint takes form the moment you log in to your computer. As you play your first online game or send your first IM, you are shaping your online reputation. How significant is your online reputation? Extremely.
A portion of the proceeds of this book is donated by the author to educate teens about how to stay safe online.
Every day, millions of teens log on and make decisions that can compromise their safety, security, privacy, and future. If you are like most teens, you are already using social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook and have your smartphone super-glued to your hand. You tag your friends in photos, share your location and thoughts with friends, and post jokes online that later may be misunderstood.
At the same time, you might not realize how that information can affect your reputation and safety, both online and offline. We’ve all heard the horror stories of stolen identities, cyber stalking, pedophiles on the Internet, and lost job, school, and personal opportunities. All teens need to learn how to protect themselves against malware, social networking scams, and cyberbullies.
“The Internet is a wonderland, but then again, it's not entirely safe, and teens especially do not understand the risks of using their smartphones. Linda McCarthy understands these risks, and she's written Digital Drama to help teens understand how to be smart about Internet connectivity. Teens, parents, grandparents, download Linda's book, read it, and tell your friends to read it too.”
– Bob Metcalfe, Internet Pioneer, UT Austin Professor of Innovation
“All families need to be prepared when digital drama strikes--and it will strike! Digital Drama is a book every family should to read together…”
– Marsali Hancock, CEO iKeepSafe
"For a youth, pursuing an education, just starting out in life, looking for a future, there are few issues as vital as the need for cyber skills and cyber streets smarts. The sad fact is that youths are not going to learn this in school; nor is it realistic for parents to think they can deliver the message. But Linda McCarthy can, and does, in her new book Digital Drama. Put Digital Drama in the hands of your children, and of your students, and it will make a difference."
– Richard Power, Distinguished Fellow, Carnegie Mellon University CyLab
"Digital Drama is packed full of information… I downloaded it for my teens. I’m telling every parent I know to download Digital Drama, read it, and give it to their teens to read.”
– Humphrey Polanen, Technology Investor
"Digital Drama is a must read for every teen and parent...antivirus software is not enough to keep you safe! Teens need to plan and manage their online lives, which create permanent footprints for their reputations. I reviewed Digital Drama with my own teenager and I'm telling every parent I know to do the same with their teens."
– Chris Benham, former VP of Marketing for Symantec and Webroot
"Linda McCarthy's new book Digital Drama is both accessible and essential for teen readers entering the online world."
– Mike Godwin, first staff counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation
"Digital Drama is an extremely well-written guide to surviving modern life online. In a day and age where network connectivity is intrinsic to so much of our lives, it's not always apparent how to manage the risks and hazards associated with operating in that environment. Digital Drama is essential reading for not only teens and their parents, but also anyone who relies on the net for work or family connections. McCarthy's cited examples of problems are compelling, and her advice regarding remedies clear, even to readers with minimal technical skills."
– Rebecca Bace, Chief Strategist, Center for Forensics, Information Technology, and Security, University of South Alabama.
Linda McCarthy is the former Senior Director of Internet Safety at Symantec and has 20-plus years experience helping families and corporations improve their security. When the teens using McCarthy's home network destroyed its security, she shifted her work from corporate security to educating teens and parents about staying safe online. McCarthy works with sponsors such as Microsoft, DeVry University, and Facebook to create content and to help advance security education around the globe. McCarthy has published more than a dozen books and guides on security including Own Your Space: A Guide to Facebook Security. Own Your Space books and guides have been downloaded more than 3.7 million times.
With 90% of teens using social networking, over 7 million kids under 13 on Facebook, teens on Twitter, 24x7 smart phone access to the Internet — every kid needs to know how to maneuver their way safely online. Kids need to learn how to build a good online reputation and how to limit information about their physical location on the Internet. "With technology super-glued to kids' hands, we all need to work together to keep our kids safe online," McCarthy says. In 2004 McCarthy received the Woman of Influence Award for safety, security, and privacy — a prestigious award given annually to only four women in the world.