My daughter came home last spring with a printout from her digital literacy class. It covered things like not sharing your password and not talking to strangers online. She is 13. She has known those rules since she was seven. The class had not touched on anything she would actually encounter: fake giveaways on social media, impersonation accounts, or what to do if someone she knows sends her a suspicious link.
The gap between curriculum and real risk
I am not criticizing her teacher. The curriculum is set at a district level and tends to lag behind what kids actually face. By the time a school updates its materials, the specific threats have already changed. My daughter uses platforms her school's digital safety guide does not mention at all. The advice she got was technically correct and almost entirely useless for her daily life.
How we filled in what was missing
We spent two evenings going through specific scenarios. What does a fake giveaway post look like on Instagram. How do you tell if a direct message is from a real friend or a compromised account. What should you do if someone you trust online starts asking for personal information or photos. We did not use hypotheticals. We looked at real examples she could find in five minutes of scrolling.
I also showed her how to report content on the platforms she uses, something she had never done and did not know was an option.
The honest result
She is more alert now, but it took effort that should not have fallen entirely on me. Schools need updated materials. Until that happens, the conversation has to happen at home.