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Wednesday, February 22, 2012
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| Parental control on Internet
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College-bound teenagers have much more to worry about today than we did when we were their age. Aside from making sure their grades, college application essays, letters of recommendation, SAT scores, extra-curricular activities, and community service are all up to par, kids nowadays have to also put some serious effort into managing their online reputations.
That's a question most parents ask themselves at least once a week. Is all the fighting over your daughter's excess texting worth being able to reach her at any given moment? Are the prices of your son's cell phone apps a small price to pay for being able to text him that it's time for dinner?
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM). Microsoft and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) have teamed up with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to bring education and awareness to Internet users about keeping themselves and their Internet-accessible devices safe. [1] For those with children using the Internet, teaching them about the risks as well as the benefits of the Internet, and providing intelligent usage advice will help keep our younger generations safe.
SafetyWeb is excited to provide the online safety community with a Free Poster illustrating some alarming statistics about Cyberbullying. We encourage everyone to download and utilize this free resource to help educate your community about online safety!
Information is currency. In today's digital age of lightning-quick information sharing, this saying has never been more apropos. The only problem is that multi-billion dollar Internet companies are the ones making all the currency, and it's earned from our information. Social networking sites make their bread and butter from information sharing. First, users create online profiles for their own purposes – – to reconnect or stay in touch with friends and family, or to promote hobbies and businesses.
Cyberstalking refers to harassment or unwanted communication via some form of technology including computers, global positioning systems (GPS), cell phones, cameras and more. The National Center for Victims of Crime defines cyberstalking as "threatening behavior or unwanted advances directed at another using the Internet and other forms of online and computer communications." Cyberstalkers may use email, chat rooms, message boards, discussion forums, GPS technology, listening devices, hidden cameras and more to target their victims.
Every adult knows that adolescence can be a challenging time for even the most well adjusted individuals. Raising a teen, providing guidance and teaching your teen how to develop coping tools for traditional social issues can be a daunting task all on its own. Today, parents, guardians and caretakers of teens have the added challenge of identifying issues that stem from online social behavior.
Children are inherently social creatures. Take one look at a playground and you'll see young kids interacting with one another, practicing their social skills, and learning the lay of the land. So, it's only natural that children would want to follow the popular trend of joining an online social network…right? After all, their friends are doing it.
Being a father is something that most men cherish. Reminiscing about clapping at his daughter's first ballet recital or high-fiving his son after a little league game will be among most dads' favorite memories. When those cute kids start exploring their world and socializing with their peers, another facet of parenting is introduced into the father-child relationship.
“Video sharing is the act of recording video and uploading it on a website that allows others to view it. Video may also be shared by sending it to others via email or cell phone.
“Cyberbullying” simply refers to the act of bullying online. The effects of cyberbullying can hurt and hurt quickly. There have been numerous stories in the news of children, teens, and young adults who have been driven to suicide or violent crime as a result of being bullied online. While these tend to be the more extreme cases, cyberbullying can have a serious detrimental effect on a victim's self-esteem, emotional well-being, and sense of personal safety.
“Sexting” is a relatively new term used for the act of sending a sexually suggestive or explicit text message (AKA texting, SMS, MMS) to someone else. In most instances, the intended recipient is a current or prospective boyfriend or girlfriend. These messages may vary from simple text, to photos, or even short videos sent from a mobile phone to either another phone and/or email account.
An Internet addiction is an addiction like any other: it is defined by a compulsive loss of impulse control resulting in damage to the user and his or her relationships, schoolwork, or employment. Online gaming, compulsive use of social networking, and marathon Internet surfing sessions are all included in this powerful addition.
In order to shop online, one must have access to a computer and either a bank account, online payment account, debit card, or credit card. Kids and young adults are heavily targeted by marketers and often seek to purchase toys and objects they perceive to be important to their personal and social development. Online marketing can be narrowly targeted, and thus be more effective. Search engines and online vendors will remember prior purchases, or simply what one has searched for.
As with any reputation, an online reputation formed during one’s adolescence can haunt for years to come. It is imperative that you and your child have an open conversation about the possible repercussions of Internet interaction before any lasting damage occurs.
Many kids and teens today have their own mobile phones to use for social, family, and professional purposes. Mobile phones are equipped to send/receive phone calls and text messages. "Smart" phones or PDAs and other devices also enable you to access the Internet, take/send photos/videos, play games, listen to music, use a calculator, alarm clock, and calendar, not to mention the thousands of apps that offer a growing array of services.
Bad content online can include violent video games, hate sites, sites that seek to mislead or “brainwash”, and commercial sites that seek to scam youth. Negative content can be sought out by kids or found inadvertently through search queries, pop-ups, and spam. Videos of shocking content can spread like wildfire online and often get shared by peers in group settings just to see what kind of reactions they elicit. It is also common for teens to actually post video responses expressing their reactions to shocking content.
Social Networks (many consider Friendster to be the original) were created to enable real life friends to share information and interact on the Internet, and potentially to expand personal networks through mutual friends. However, the need for actual friendship or even a common friend was soon trumped by the perceived prestige of having a large online community, resulting in the tendency for people to become "friends" with people they had never met.
Online photos and videos are media produced in digital form and made available on the Internet via websites, blogs, social networking sites, photo/video sharing sites, or email. The key difference between online media and offline media is that online media can be easily copied, shared, and downloaded.
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