Pockets of Potential
Internet Dangers, Technology, Articles of Interest
Most people have any number of mobile devices that access the Internet and communicate in ways that Alexander Graham Bell NEVER imagined. To go along with all that new technology, there are many new worries about how the technology is being abused or misused. There are also a lot of people who would swear that all this technology is too much too fast. There are even people who are trying to convince parents to ban the technology from the house.
In 1969 'Sesame Street' refused to admit a common thought, that television was "bad for kids".
In 1969 'Sesame Street' refused to admit a common thought, that television was "bad for kids".
Homework From the Courtroom?
Internet Safety Tips, Articles of Interest, Sexting
In March of this year, a 14-year-old girl was charged with child pornography. This was not the only story; there were others, all with similar charges. Some teens were even forced to register as sex offenders for posting or sending nude pictures of themselves.
More recently, an Ohio judge sentenced a local teen for the same charges as the teens previously mentioned. The kicker? The punishment was writing a paper detailing the dangers of sexting.
More recently, an Ohio judge sentenced a local teen for the same charges as the teens previously mentioned. The kicker? The punishment was writing a paper detailing the dangers of sexting.
Is Your Teen Sexting?
Internet Safety Tips, Social Networking, Internet Dangers, Sexting
Talking to your children about sex raises the anxiety level for many parents. Now add on how they are expressing themselves sexually online. Many parents say "my child wouldn't do that." The challenge is that according to a study done by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 20% of teens admit that they are. One way to look at it is that 80% of teens are not sexting. Since there is no easy way to tell which teen falls into the 20% bucket vs. the 80% bucket, here are some tips on broaching the topic:
- Know that "sexting" is a term that the media has placed on the act of sending sexually explicit texts and photos via cell phones or online. Because it's been in the media so much, teens probably know what it means, but it probably isn't (or at least wasn't) the word they use. This might be a good way to bring it up with your teen. Ask him/her what students in their class call it. I have heard terms such as "hooking up", "phone sex", "booty call". Some don't have a name for it at all; they just know it when they see it.
- Use articles or news stories to spark the conversation. In recent months, there have been many articles about teens who were arrested for sexting. Ask your teen his/her opinion about if it is actually child pornography? What should the punishment be? Should it even be a crime?
Parents, Are We Being Digitally Responsible?
Internet Safety Tips, Cyberbullying, Social Networking, Technology, Sexting
Some of you may wonder what it means to be "digitally responsible," and if it is really much different from parental responsibility as we know it. Raising responsible and well-behaved children in th 
e real world is often similar to raising responsible and well-behaved children in the digital world. However, the difference in the digital world is that the potential for anonymity makes matters worse for tweens and teens in the digital world, and many kids these days are probably more Internet savvy than a lot of moms and dads out there. We didn't grow up with this technology that seems so natural to them – experts often refer to this generation of kids and teens as "digital natives" and their parents as "digital immigrants". Is that something to worry about? Not really, as there are a plethora of resources that parents can dig into to get updated on the latest trends that our children are faced with - Social Networking, Cyberbullying, and Sexting to name a few. There are many places on the Web that provide great information for parents to stay plugged-in to the latest online trends. This blog, SafetyClicks.com, is a great source for parents looking to learn more about what's going on with kids on the Internet, and arm themselves with the knowledge they need to strike the right chord with their kids when discussing online behavior.
Are Your Kids Ready To Be Online This Summer?
Internet Safety Tips, Parental Controls
School is almost out and summer break is just around the corner. Do you know what your kids will be doing this summer? How will they be spending their spare free time for the next sixty or so days? Whatever you may or may not have lined up in terms of activities for your children, one thing is certain for most kids - free time offline means more time spent online.This year add a new tradition to your usual end school year routine, along with graduation parties, summer camp registration and vacation preparations. Before this summer begins, talk to your children about staying safe online. A safety conversation is probably the last thing your kids want to have before they are set free for the lazy days summer, but it's important and it won't take long. Pick a day and put it on the calendar so you both stay committed. As a matter of fact, make it a complete safety briefing covering all their summer activities.
Sexting: A Topic for the Last Day of School
Internet Dangers, Social Networking, Articles of Interest, Sexting
While parents, law makers and law enforcers decide how to punish the offenders of sexting, teachers in a Milwaukee town spent the last day of school teaching an important lesson before summer break. They sparked a debate with students regarding all aspects of the topic of sexting. Several of the students admitted to sending nude pictures of themselves and at least one was the victim of that picture being sent to others. The debate continued with who should be punished, for what and what the punishment should be.
This sounds like a far better use of time compared to my last day of school every year -- usually spent watching the clock.
This sounds like a far better use of time compared to my last day of school every year -- usually spent watching the clock.
Internet Safety Education: Where Does It Come From?
Internet Safety Tips, Social Networking, Articles of Interest
I recently overheard a conversation in which one parent was telling another that she wishes the schools would teach the parents about online safety, in addition to the students.
For students, all 50 states have Internet safety information available to them through the Boys and Girls Clubs and Netsmartz.org. There are also several states that are taking education to a much higher level, requiring cyber education as part of the schools' curriculum. Virginia was the first state to require Internet safety education as part of the school's curriculum. Since then, other states are pulling together similar programs such as New Jersey, Illinois, and Texas. Generally speaking, the education covers cyber bullying, general online safety, predators and what information should be shared online.
As for the parents' education, there are many resources available. Here are a few:
This blog, SafetyClicks.com
Parental Controls software (this is a search page leading to several options)
NetSmartz 411
Connect Safely
Enough Is Enough
For students, all 50 states have Internet safety information available to them through the Boys and Girls Clubs and Netsmartz.org. There are also several states that are taking education to a much higher level, requiring cyber education as part of the schools' curriculum. Virginia was the first state to require Internet safety education as part of the school's curriculum. Since then, other states are pulling together similar programs such as New Jersey, Illinois, and Texas. Generally speaking, the education covers cyber bullying, general online safety, predators and what information should be shared online.
As for the parents' education, there are many resources available. Here are a few:
This blog, SafetyClicks.com
Parental Controls software (this is a search page leading to several options)
NetSmartz 411
Connect Safely
Enough Is Enough
What Is Your Perceived Parental Right?
Internet Safety Tips, Sharing Info Online, Internet Dangers, Articles of Interest
Common Sense Media posted an article recently talking about if parents should read their kids' text messages.
While the article was interesting, I was intrigued by the comments. It is clear which comments are from teens and which are from worried parents.
When I was a teen, I was mortified when my parents violated my perceived divine right to privacy. In fairness to them, they didn't violate it often. And in hindsight, I was more protective of things they probably would not have cared about than I needed to be, but I still needed my sense of privacy.
The balance of what privacy and a parents' need to know debate will continue over dinner tables for many years to come. I think that most people would agree on the extremes. If their child is in danger, a parent will go through every text or email ever written if they think it will help. On the other hand, teens are learning about themselves and part of that is having a sense of privacy. The challenge is in the middle.
Where do you think the balance is? Do parents have the "right" to read every message their child/teen sends? What level of privacy do teens deserve?
While the article was interesting, I was intrigued by the comments. It is clear which comments are from teens and which are from worried parents.
When I was a teen, I was mortified when my parents violated my perceived divine right to privacy. In fairness to them, they didn't violate it often. And in hindsight, I was more protective of things they probably would not have cared about than I needed to be, but I still needed my sense of privacy.
The balance of what privacy and a parents' need to know debate will continue over dinner tables for many years to come. I think that most people would agree on the extremes. If their child is in danger, a parent will go through every text or email ever written if they think it will help. On the other hand, teens are learning about themselves and part of that is having a sense of privacy. The challenge is in the middle.
Where do you think the balance is? Do parents have the "right" to read every message their child/teen sends? What level of privacy do teens deserve?
Social Networking: Good, Bad, or Indifferent?
Social Networking, Articles of Interest
Social Networking has been in the news for a while, and I am sure it will be in the news a while longer. One observation is how diverse opinions can be about all things related to social networks and social networking.
This article from CNN warns about the "dangers" of Twitter, saying that it could numb your sense of morality.
LiveScience reports that Facebook users are getting worse grades than those who don't participate.
Immoral students who are failing sound pretty bad.
On the other hand, there are many suggestions the Social Networks are being used for good.
For all those students who are getting their letters of acceptance or denial out there, there are several colleges that are looking to Facebook to recruit students.
This article from CNN warns about the "dangers" of Twitter, saying that it could numb your sense of morality.
LiveScience reports that Facebook users are getting worse grades than those who don't participate.
Immoral students who are failing sound pretty bad.
On the other hand, there are many suggestions the Social Networks are being used for good.
For all those students who are getting their letters of acceptance or denial out there, there are several colleges that are looking to Facebook to recruit students.
Why Do Parents Have to Approve Their Kid's Use of Certain Sites?
Its history lesson time. In 1998, Congress passed a law called the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). This law prohibits Web sites from collecting personally identifiable information from children (defined as those people aged 12 and younger) without explicit permission from their parents. Personally Identifiable Information encompasses many things, including a child's full name, e-mail address, and physical address.
You may have noticed that most social networking sites have a minimum age requirement of 13 and COPPA is one of the big reasons why; the social networking sites collect personally identifiable information. There are, however, many sites made for kids, even though they require personal information to be shared in order for them to participate in the site. These sites require your permission as a parent for your child to participate, and this permission is normally easily granted via e-mail. You always want to take take normal precautions before sharing your credit card number, but there are some sites that require parents to prove their age by entering credit card information as verification. Some of the sites with good reputations include KOL, Disney, and Club Penguin. While these sites do have good reputations, nothing takes your place as a parent knowing what your kids are doing online.
How do you know if a site is safe for your kids?
You may have noticed that most social networking sites have a minimum age requirement of 13 and COPPA is one of the big reasons why; the social networking sites collect personally identifiable information. There are, however, many sites made for kids, even though they require personal information to be shared in order for them to participate in the site. These sites require your permission as a parent for your child to participate, and this permission is normally easily granted via e-mail. You always want to take take normal precautions before sharing your credit card number, but there are some sites that require parents to prove their age by entering credit card information as verification. Some of the sites with good reputations include KOL, Disney, and Club Penguin. While these sites do have good reputations, nothing takes your place as a parent knowing what your kids are doing online.
How do you know if a site is safe for your kids?
