Technology changes every day, there’s no getting around it. One day we’re sporting the latest flip phone and the next we’re having a video conference call on our smart phones. Young people grow agitated when Facebook changes profile settings, while many of their parents grow frustrated just trying to navigate online shopping.

Katie LeClerc Greer is working to bridge the gap and reassure kids, parents and teachers that technology is not so scary after all.

“I know a lot of people that say stay off Facebook — social networking is the devil and technology has ruined people’s lives,” Mrs. Greer said earlier this week. “But my approach is, it’s here and it’s a wonderful tool if we know how to use it the right way and how we can do it safely.”

Mrs. Greer, 27, has developed an Internet safety program that she teaches across the United States and will present to Vineyard students and parents next week. The cyber-bullying workshop is the first phase of putting into effect a new bullying policy adopted by the Martha’s Vineyard public schools, part of a statewide initiative to combat bullying.

On Wednesday Mrs. Greer will speak with high school students at 9 a.m., middle school students at 10 a.m., and she will meet with parents at the YMCA of Martha’s Vineyard at 7 p.m.

Every Vineyard school submitted bullying policies to the state this month, each one tailored to meet the specific needs of the school. The required policies come after a Massachusetts teen was bullied to the point of suicide last year.

As a result, the state legislature passed a new anti-bullying law last April, requiring all schools in the state to come up with a plan to prevent bullying and ways to deal with it when incidents arise in school. The state is providing no funding for the program.

Mrs. Greer uses case examples to talk about approaching technology in a safe way, and although the presentations change depending on the age group, the message remains the same: There is a safe and smart way to utilize the big — and not so bad — Internet.

“I talk about how words can affect people’s digital footprints a lot,” Mrs. Greer said. “If you tell someone you hate them online or in a text message, there’s a record of it and you can get in trouble.”

She focuses on students taking responsibility for their actions, and delves into tolerance and the repercussions of online harassment. For parents, she’ll give them tools to look for signs of bullying, patterns they should watch for, and how parents and kids can work together.

“The response has been absolutely amazing,” Mrs. Greer said. “One thing I have in my corner is the fact that I’m young and a lot of people that are talking to kids about this are a lot older than they are. They relate really well and I think the parents appreciate that as well.

“I’m talking about it because it’s been my life and what I’ve grown up with,” she added.

Mrs. Greer’s job changes every day, as technology continues to evolve and spin off into uncharted territory. While she relies on her contacts in law enforcement (she started working for the state Attorney General’s office right after she graduated from college) and researching the latest trends, her best sources are the kids she talks to.

“It’s my responsibility to stay on top of the stuff, and it’s impossible to stay on top of every single thing that changes,” she admits. “I hang around after the presentations to see if they have questions, and I hear about new Web sites that my research didn’t show me or my RSS feed didn’t show me in the morning . . . A lot of the things middle school kids are doing, I’m going to miss some of that stuff.”

She said she is fully aware of how age can matter when it comes to technology, and the challenges it presents; she has two younger brothers of a generation known for oversharing and a father who is struggling to figure out Skype. Many new social media Web sites make MySpace and Facebook seem ancient, but become the new “it” Web site where kids can openly share harmful messages about each other in the blink of an eye.

“Things are always changing, and they’re always going to change,” she said. “Parents don’t like it, they like it even less when it comes to technology . . . My approach to change is there’s nothing we can do about it, so let’s try and stay on top of it.”

 

Katie LeClerc Greer will speak to parents and community members at the YMCA of Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Refreshments will be served at the free event. All are welcome.