EXETER \u2013 Students at Wyoming Area Catholic School recently stepped away from their normal routines to learn a lesson that may shape their digital decisions for years to come.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, a representative from the Pennsylvania Attorney General\u2019s Office led several interactive presentations to help students better understand the opportunities \u2013 and dangers \u2013 of the digital world.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Wyoming-Area-Catholic-School-Digital-Safety-Presentation-April-29-2026-300x225.jpg\")
Dana Neely, Education & Outreach Specialist with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, held a presentation called \u201cIRL \u2013 Being Smart in the Digital World\u201d for students at Wyoming Area Catholic School in Exeter on April 29, 2026. (Photo\/Eric Deabill)<\/p>\n
Dana Neely, a former teacher, held three different age-appropriate sessions to help students think critically about their digital footprint and the lasting impact of what they post online.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe moment you post something, you\u2019ve already lost control of it,\u201d Neely told students in grades 5-8, noting that even deleted content can remain accessible or be shared through screenshots.<\/p>\n
Students were quick to name the platforms they use \u2013 ranging from YouTube and TikTok to Snapchat and online gaming chats \u2013 and openly discussed both the benefits and risks of social media.<\/p>\n
While the students recognized the value of social media for connection and entertainment, they also identified concerns such as cyberbullying, scams, and negative effects on mental health. <\/p>\n
Using real-life examples, Neely emphasized that online behavior could have serious consequences, from damaged reputations to legal trouble. He encouraged students to take responsibility not only for what they share, but also how they respond to others \u2013 especially in situations involving bullying or threats.<\/p>\n
For fifth-grade student Chloe Kelly, the message was clear.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought that it was important to be careful with the internet because if you say one thing, it can ruin your entire reputation,\u201d she said, adding that her parents help guide her online activity.<\/p>\n
Seventh-grader Hannah Beekman said the presentation reinforced the importance of thinking before posting.<\/p>\n
\u201cI learned that it could be a very bad thing, what you post, so make sure you double check on what you post,\u201d she said. \u201cI do think about it and double check what I\u2019m posting, and I make sure all the things I have are private for my friends and family.\u201d<\/p>\n
The presentation went beyond warnings, focusing also on forming habits rooted in character and good judgement \u2013 values that align closely with the mission of Catholic education.<\/p>\n
Students were encouraged to pause and ask themselves key questions before posting things online: Is this a positive or accurate reflection of the person I am? Would I say this on TV or in front of my family? Could it be easily misunderstood? Am I posting out of anger?<\/p>\n
As the presentations ended, Neely left the students with a simple but powerful reminder.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all about making good choices,\u201d he said, \u201cand helping your friends make good choices too.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"EXETER \u2013 Students at Wyoming Area Catholic School recently stepped away from their normal routines to learn a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":198852,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[178,180,179],"class_list":["post-198851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-scranton","tag-scranton","tag-scranton-headlines","tag-scranton-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=198851"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198851\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/198852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=198851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=198851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=198851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}