Online Safety: An Introduction
They connect to it. They download from it. They watch on it. They listen to it. They play on it. They surf on it. They converse with it. Do you know how to monitor it? It can be hard to keep up when today’s inventions are tomorrow’s antiques, but we want our kids to be safe online, and with the amount of time kids spend online, it’s crucial that you do what you can to keep them safe.
Did You Know?
- Kids who are educated in the importance of online safety are more likely to take steps to keep themselves safe online than kids who aren’t educated.1
- One out of five teenagers use their cell phones to go online.2Of those who do, one out of five say their parents don’t know that they do this.3
- One half of all teenagers post their real age on social networking sites.4 Two out of five post the name of the city where they live.5
- While 25 percent of 13- to 15-year-olds think it’s unsafe to post personal stuff online, only 14 percent of 16- to 18-year-olds feel the same way.7
- Two out of five teenagers are exposed to pornography online.8
- Two out of three teenagers say that cyberbullying is a serious problem.10 One out of three say that online bullying is worse than being bullied in person.11
1. Dian Schaffhauser, “Teens’ Online Safety Improved by Education, Research Shows,” The Journal (2008), http://thejournal.com/articles/2008/11/25/teens-online-safety-improved-b….
2. Kim Thomas, “Teen Online & Wireless Safety Survey: Cyberbullying, Sexting, and Parental Controls,” Cox Communications (2009), http://www.cox.com/takecharge/safe_teens_2009/media/2009_teen_survey_int…
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid., 18.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid., 19.
7. Ibid.
8. Andrew Schrock and Danah Boyd, Enhancing Child Safety & Online Technologies: Final Report of the Internet Safety Technical Task Force, The Berman Center for Internet & Society (2008), 29, http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/sites/cyber.law.harvard.edu/files/ISTTF_Fin….
9. Ibid.
10. Thomas, 27.
11. Ibid.
I just joined the True Care BzzCampaign
Social networking can be fun, but it also can be dangerous, especially for children. Cyber bullying, child predators and embarrassing content are just a few of the hazards they face. TrueCare helps protect your children online 24/7 by monitoring their social networking accounts, including Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. When potential issues arise, TrueCare sends out e-mail alerts, notifying you of the questionable content.
This is a great tool for keeping an eye on what your kids are doing online. It gives an extra layer of protection by alerting parents to questionable activities on the internet. We all know there are bullies and predators out there, and want to protect our kids as best we can. Another great opportunity from BzzAgent, the website that allows you to try new and useful products for free, in exchange for word of mouth and online reviews! It’s free to join, too! I’ve gotten some AMAZING things over the last few years, and so can you!
This research is great to know. It really helps to contextualize the problem, know what we are really talking about here. Part of the problem with parenting children that are fluent in the technology of today is that their parents are still learning the lingo. I believe that education is empowerment, but where to turn when there are so many voices, many of them trying to sell you a product? The Internet Safety Project is a website that offers simple and straightforward information about the internet and technology. Its like the wikipedia for internet safety. Its clear and unbiased, and a great resource for parents, kids, and educators.
InternetSafetyProject.org
this was not helpful
i like your writing about internet safety, it really does help me know what to do if something like that came up on me like that on the internet, it makes me feel safe knowing what to do so thank you.
your newest blog buddy.
no more cyber bullying and stop stalking people
this isnt good
i really like this website
Post new comment