McAfee Teams Up with The Smurfs 2 at the Chicago Premiere

Mom Central received complimentary admission to a showing of Smurfs 2 that was sponsored in part by McAfee. All opinions are our own.

During the Chicago premiere of Smurfs 2 in 3D, McAfee, a global leader in cyber security technology, teamed up with Sony Pictures share its STOP. THINK. CONNECT. program to teach kids and teens to stay safe while online while opening up a dialogue on online safety with parents.

Before the film began, a McAfee spokesperson asked all the kids in the theater what they should do in certain online situations. The spokesperson had them repeat the words, “STOP. THINK. CONNECT.” Afterwards, she reinforced the importance of talking to your parents. For more information about the McAfee Cares online safety for Kids program, visit mcafee.com/onlinesafety.

Make Family Movie Night a Teachable Moment

Before the movie began, McAfee representative suggested that the kids to watch the movie closely to think about situations where they think something was wrong or comprised a safe situation for the Smurfs. It was cute to see all the kids interacting and responding to what they need to do if they encounter a dangerous situation online.

We tend to think of family movie night as simply a time to relax, bond and entertain the kids. However, as McAfee pointed out prior to the movie, it’s also an opportunity to teach and talk to your children about important life lessons. The time spent together driving to and from the movies provides the perfect setting to discuss important topics, perhaps even topics that can often be difficult to discuss but within the context of something fun that captures your child’s attention, especially if it’s geared towards a younger child.

The Smurfs 2 is a 3D family comedy sequel to the 2011 film The Smurfs. It’s a unique hybrid of live action with actors combined with animation. While both films are loosely based on The Smurfs classic comic-book series, the core characters remain the same. There’s action and laughs that little kids will enjoy as the Smurfs team up with their human friends to rescue Smurfette from the evil wizard Gargamel. The film was directed by Raja Gosnell and has some returning cast including Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Katy Perry and Hank Azaria.

In the sequel, a set of new characters are introduced called the Naughties. Based on their name, I’m sure you can imagine the things these new little creatures get into during the film that would warrant a discussion especially with the younger children. Sharing popcorn and laughs over The Smurfs 2 provides fun for everyone to make movie night a success as well as a teaching moment.

Teaching Your Kids About Online Safety

In a new study of youth and parents with children, McAfee found that children as young as 10-years-old are taking part in risky online behavior. Perhaps even more surprising is that the children surveyed would actually change their behavior if they knew their parents were watching them and paying attention to their online activity.

According to what the study revealed regarding conversations parents are having with their kids, there must be more direct conversations with children about being safe online and doing it in a way that will resonate with them better. Leveraging entertainment that depicts some of these challenges and scenarios can be one way to do this.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Shutterstock

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