S3.2 - Owning Your Digital Space

A Puerto Rican UX researcher leads a workshop for mothers and their teenage daughters on "Protected Access: Owning Your Digital Space." The diverse group, with a variety of hairstyles and backgrounds, sits around a table with laptops open, bathed in natural light from the large windows.

Scene: Multimedia Center, After-School Recreation Center
​The room is filled with soft chatter, posters of tech careers on the walls, and a big screen displaying the words: “Protected Access: Owning Your Digital Space”. Nicole Bakula sits in a circle with the girls and their mothers, laptops and tablets open on the table.

Nicole: (smiling, adjusting her seat) Hey, buenas tardes, everyone. I’m so happy to be here with you all. So, today, I want to talk about something that’s big for me… like really big. Access to technology is amazing, right? But, for me… it’s all about protected access. Because you can give somebody a computer, a phone, a connection—but if it’s not safe? That access can get messy, fast.

Celia: (leaning forward) What do you mean by “protected”? Like, passwords?

Nicole: Passwords, sí… but also more than that. I work in privacy. My job is kind of funny—sometimes I joke that we researchers “stalk” people, but in a good way—we want to know what apps you love, why you love them. But we also protect you. Like, I don’t just collect data, I guard it. And at home, I have this little thing—a Raspberry Pi—it blocks trackers, ads, all that noise. Makes me feel at ease. Like, okay, I’m in control of my space.

Esperanza: (nodding) My phone’s always full of random ads. Like, I just say something out loud, and boom—I see it on Instagram.

Nicole: (laughs knowingly) Oh, girl, that’s real. That’s why protected access matters. We can love tech, but tech doesn’t always love us back, you know?

Nina (mother): I try to watch what my daughter does online, but sometimes I feel like I’m behind. They click on things so fast… I don’t know what’s safe anymore.

Nicole: Nina, you’re not alone. It’s hard. That’s why we gotta have these talks, because protection is teamwork. Like, Esperanza, let’s say you’re clicking on that ad—what do you think it wants from you?

Esperanza: My money… or my info.

Nicole: Exactly. And once your info is out there, you don’t always control it. That’s the part that makes me wary. So I set limits—I barely use social media. Not because I hate it… but because I want choice in what I share, when I share it.

Assata: But what if I wanna post my poem online? I want people to read it, but not steal it.

Nicole: I love that question. That’s where protected access gives you power, not just tech. You can:

• Post it with a watermark or copyright note.
• Use sites that give you control over who sees it.
• And double-check what info you give those sites first.

Ruby (mother): My biggest fear is someone pretending to be them online. Like catfishing. It’s scary.

Nicole: Yup, that’s real too. It’s not just hackers—it’s people misusing what we share. That’s why I tell every girl I mentor: before you click, before you post, ask yourself:
1️⃣ Do I control where this goes?
2️⃣ Do I trust who’s on the other side of the screen?
If the answer is no, maybe keep it close until you’re sure.

Frida (mother): My daughter loves drawing and wants to start an online art page. But I don’t know what’s safe for a 12-year-old.

Nicole: Frida, I’d say you two can set up layers of safety—like training wheels:

• Use a parent-monitored account.
• Only post art, no personal info.
• Keep comments off until you’re ready.
  It’s not about saying no, it’s about saying yes… but safely.

María (mother): I wish schools taught more of this. My daughter knows coding but not privacy.

Nicole: (nodding passionately) That’s why I do this work. Giving access is not enough—we need protected access, where kids can dream big, learn big, and stay safe. Because you all deserve a future online that’s wide open—but not wide open to harm.

Erykah (mother): I like that… access with protection. Feels like teaching them to swim with a lifeguard there.

Nicole: Exactly. The internet is a big ocean. I just want to make sure every one of you has a life jacket, a map, and someone watching your back while you swim.

​(The girls exchange glances, nodding. A sense of mutual understanding fills the room as mothers and daughters begin sharing small “safety pledges” they’ll try at home—like checking privacy settings together or pausing before clicking “post.”)

Reflect & Write: Guarding Your Digital Space
Instructions: Read the prompts below and write your thoughts in your journal or digital notes. If you’re working with your mom or guardian, take turns answering and then share your ideas with each other.

1. Your Digital Door: Think of your online space like your home. Who are you letting in when you accept “cookies” on a website? How could you control who comes through that “door”?
2. Eyes and Ears in Your Space: Many devices (phones, laptops, Alexa, Google Home) have cameras or microphones. How do you feel about them being “always on”? What steps could you take to guard your privacy?
3. Location Sharing Choices: Some apps ask for your location. Which apps truly need your location to work? Which ones might be tracking more than necessary? How can you limit access?
4. Cookie Settings Check: When a website asks you to accept “all cookies,” what do you think that means? How could you take a moment to review or reject certain cookies to keep your data safe?
5. Unwanted Listeners: Imagine you’re having a private conversation at home, but a device is listening. How would you know if this is happening? What settings could you change to stop it?
6. Guarding Your Camera: How do you make sure your camera isn’t used without your permission? Write down at least two actions you can take (ex. camera covers, turning it off, adjusting settings).
7. App Permissions Audit: Pick one app you use daily. What permissions does it have (camera, mic, contacts, photos, videos, location)? Are you comfortable with all of them? Which ones would you change?
8. Sharing with Care: Before posting something online, imagine if strangers could see your home, school, or neighborhood from that post. What can you do to guard your space and keep your location private?
9. Setting Family Rules: Write one “Guard Your Space Rule” that you and your mother/guardian could agree on to keep your digital space safe at home. How would you make it a habit?
10. Your Personal Guard Plan: If you had to make a 3-step plan to guard your digital space this week (cookies, tracking, listening, camera), what steps would you include? Why are these important?

​🔐 Digital Detectives: Guarding Your Space in a Connected World
​Objective: To empower girls and their mothers to investigate how technology interacts with their personal data, recognize risks, and create a personal “Guard Plan” for safe online engagement—demonstrating advanced digital literacy skills through self-led discovery and teamwork.

Materials Needed:

• Laptops, tablets, or smartphones (one per pair)
• Internet access
• Access to a search engine (Google, DuckDuckGo, Bing, etc.)
• Access to generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, or similar)
• Personal journal or digital notes app (one per participant)

Activity Instructions
​Step 1: Detective Mission Brief (5 min)
​Read this aloud together:
“Today, we’re digital detectives. Our mission is to find out how our favorite apps or devices see, hear, and track us—and then make a plan to guard our space while still enjoying technology.”
Each of you chooses one app or device you use often (examples: TikTok, Instagram, Google Maps, Alexa, school Chromebook).

Step 2: Search Engine Investigation (15 min)
Use a search engine to answer:

• “How does [app/device] track my data?”
• “How can I change privacy settings on [app/device]?”
• “Does [app/device] listen or record me?”

Record three key things you learned in your journal or notes under these headings:

• Cookies & Tracking
• Location Sharing
• Listening & Camera Access

💬 Talk it out: Share your findings with each other. Did you find anything surprising or concerning?

Step 3: Generative AI Analysis (15–20 min)
Open ChatGPT or Gemini and ask:

1. “Explain how [app/device] uses my data in simple terms.”
2. “What are three ways to protect my privacy while using [app/device]?”
3. “What settings should I review to guard my space on [app/device]?”

Write down new advice or insights in your journal. Compare them with what you found in your search results.
💬 Talk it out: Do the AI tips match what you found online? Which do you trust more?

Step 4: Risk vs. Benefit Discussion (10 min)
Together, discuss and write your answers:

• Opportunities: What benefits do you get from using this app/device?
• Threats: What privacy or safety risks did you discover?
• Dealbreakers: What settings or practices will you change immediately?

💬 Talk it out: Agree on one change each of you will make today to protect your space.

Step 5: Build Your 3-Step Guard Plan (15 min)
Using everything you’ve learned, write a personal “Guard Your Space Plan” in your journal:

1. Immediate Action: A setting or permission you’ll change today.
2. Regular Habit: Something you’ll check weekly or monthly to stay safe.
3. Family Rule: A shared rule you and your mother/guardian will follow to guard your digital space.

💬 Talk it out: Share your plans with each other. Would you add or change anything?

Optional Challenge (After the Activity)

• Try a different search engine (DuckDuckGo, Bing) and see if the results change.
• Ask ChatGPT or Gemini: “How can I explain my privacy plan to a 10-year-old?”
• Create a mini poster or phone wallpaper with your “Guard Plan Rules” to remind you daily.

Learning Outcomes:
By completing this activity, you will:

• ✅ Use search engines effectively to investigate privacy settings.
• ✅ Use generative AI to analyze and cross-check information.
• ✅ Understand cookies, permissions, location tracking, and listening devices.
• ✅ Build and practice a personal, actionable Guard Plan for your technology use.
• ✅ Strengthen your skills to think critically, discuss openly, and make safer choices online.

💬 Conversation Starters
Here’s a Bonus Page of Conversation Starters designed for girls and their mothers (or guardians) to keep the discussion about guarding their digital spaces alive at home.

1. What’s one thing you learned today about cookies or trackers that surprised you?
2. Which app do you think knows the most about you—and how does that make you feel?
3. If our devices could talk, what do you think they’d say they know about us?
4. How would you explain to a friend why you don’t share your location with every app?
5. What’s one thing you wish every website asked before collecting your data?
6. How can we make checking app permissions a regular habit—like locking our doors at night?
7. What’s the scariest thing that could happen if we didn’t guard our space online?
8. Which setting do you think is the most important to change first—cookies, location, microphone, or camera? Why?
9. If you could invent a tech feature that protects privacy better, what would it do?
10. How can we remind each other to stay careful online without making it feel like a chore?