BSA New Tool for Internet Awareness

Kids spend more than 7.5 hours a day using some kind of electronic device, according to a 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation study.

In other words, if they're awake and not at school, they're probably online.

Whatever their reason for logging on — school project, merit badge research, socializing, games — safety is never guaranteed.

That's why the Boy Scouts of America's new Cyber Chip, announced last week, is a big step in the right direction in the effort to keep kids safe online. And because June is National Internet Safety Month, the timing couldn't be better

In developing this new Youth Protection tool, the BSA teamed up with content expert NetSmartz, part of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, as well as training experts for different law enforcement agencies.

The Cyber Chip joins the Totin' Chip and Whittling Chip as important safety tools your Scouts should earn and carry with them. Bonus: The pocket patch they get, designed to look like a smartphone, is unlike any official BSA patch I've ever seen.

Have your Scouts earn their Cyber Chip ASAP. Here's how:

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