Ratings would be only part of solution
Published Monday, December 29, 2008
Radio is watched carefully by the Federal Communications Commission, TVs offer parental controls and movies have a ratings system. But the Internet?
Since its use became widespread more than a decade ago, nothing has governed the content of the latest frontier of entertainment and information. That could be viewed as a positive (the freedom of speech guaranteed in our Constitution) or a negative (children’s unimpeded access to vulgar material).
Britain’s culture secretary, Andy Burnham, wants to bring the Internet in line with older mediums and institute ratings much like those used for films.
“There is content that should just not be available to be viewed. That is my view,” Burnham told The Daily Telegraph. “This is not a campaign against free speech; far from it. It is simply there is Read more
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Making sense of social-networking sites for young kids
Posted by Gina Chen / The Post-Standard December 29, 2008 4:00AM
My son is 8, and he has tapped into some social-networking sites for young kids. (Or you might call them social networking "in training.") I’m talking about places geared to the under 13 crowd like Webkinz or Neopets — not Facebook or MySpace, which are really only for adults.
I thought I was a conscientious parent. He asked if he could go to the site. I read the parents’ section and the privacy policy, and I issued him a stern warning about never telling anyone online his real name, where he lives, his phone number.
Then I started working on this story, and I realized I hadn’t done nearly enough. To check out a site before you kids plays on it, you really have to get right down there in the dirt, sign on as a kid and play. You’ll find that some sites don’t live up to their safety policies or that others offer features — like charging for a virtual hat with real money — that you might not like.
Guess what parents … I’ve done some of the legwork for you. In a story in today’s Post-Standard (read it there or click on "continue reading entry"), you’ll find reviews of six popular social-networking sites geared to kids ages 12 and younger. I asked some local parents to let their kids check them out — and the kids wrote reviews. These will help you know what sites are fun and not too clunky to play with.
Then I checked each one out, signing in as a kid and trying to bust the safety rules. (At one point, I had the laptop out on my bed and my son was at our main computer. I was trying to "chat" with him by putting a phone number and address into Webkinz’ chat feature. I’m happy to say, the site wouldn’t let me.)
I’m a fan of social-networking for grown-ups, so I’m of the school of thought that kids need to learn how to Read more
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Parental Controls for Cell Phones
The technological leaps cell phones have made in the past few years have given users more power over communication than ever.
And as the "Spiderman" mantra goes, with great power comes great responsibility.
But statistics show that many teens have been exploiting that technology in inappropriate or even dangerous ways, and more parents have looked for ways to monitor their kids’ cell phone use.
Luckily for parents, new software is allowing parental control like never before.
According to recent surveys, nearly half of teens say they text while driving, and 20 percent have shared sexually explicit or nude photos of themselves. It’s all part of a trend called "sexting."
"If a boy meets a girl or has a girlfriend on summer break, he comes back and shows all his boys the [nude] pictures he’s been sent. No one gives it that much thought really," said 17-year-old Matthew Younger.
But teens often don’t realize the serious consequences "sexting" can have.
News reports have increasingly documented the legal repercussions after indecent photographs appear online.
And attorneys say there are many unanswered questions about whether young people who send their own photos could face prosecution for obscenity or child pornography.
This year in Wisconsin, a 17-year-old was charged with possessing child pornography after he posted nude pictures of his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend online.
Now new software called Web Safety gives parents unprecedented control over their teens’ cell phones.
"Parents can have control of being notified when certain words show up in a text message," Andy Kahan, crime victims director for Houston told "Good Morning America."
The software can alert parents to suggestive language such as "hook up" or "meet up."
GPS technology in cell phones can also allow parents to keep track of a teen’s whereabouts and to create "dead zones" where texting can be disabled.
Some phones also allow texting to be disabled in a moving car and alerts parents whenever the cell phone is traveling faster than a certain speed.
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Internet Safety for Kids: How and Why Parents Should Learn About the Internet
Are you the parent of a child who uses the internet or the parent of a child who will start using the internet soon? If you are, you should know that the internet is a great way to stay up-to-date on the news, do research for school projects, and communicate with friends, but it can also be very dangerous. As a parent, it is your responsibility to make sure that your child stays safe online. Unfortunately, for this to happen you must know your way around a computer and the internet. Do you?
A child should never know more than a parent does about the internet. At the very least, you should know about the same. If you are looking to block adult websites or websites that have offensive language, it will not do you any good if your teenager knows ways to get around the parental controls that you set. That is why it is important that you know how to use a computer and the internet or learn if you don’t know.
Another reason why you should be well educated on the internet and computer use is because you are Read more
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Internet and Kids: How Young Is Too Young?
Are you a parent? If you are, you may be curious as to when children regularly start using the internet. In all honesty, you will find that it depends. There are some parents who start their children with using a computer and the internet right away and others wait until their children need to do so for school. So, how young is too young for your child to use the internet?
What many parents, especially first time parents, do not realize is that some elementary schools teach their children how to use a computer as young as first grade. Of course, they may not learn how to surf the internet, but they do often learn the basics. These basics may include learning how to type, how to turn on a computer, how to use a computer mouse, and so froth.
In keeping with young age, there are many parents who allow their toddlers and preschoolers to play computer games. Although software for those games can be purchased online or in most media stores, some parents turn to the internet. The good news about this approach is that many trusted websites, like those for Nick Jr, PBS Kids, and PlayHouse Disney do not have harmful advertisements on their websites that your child could accidentally click on.
Young elementary school children are also likely to use the internet and a computer in general to play computer games. Towards the fifth or sixth grade, children may start to use the internet to do research for school projects. This is when it is really important to Read more
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A Dangerous Environment
The internet is a dangerous place for your children. Don’t even begin to believe that your child is safe. There are more dangers than you can possibly imagine waiting to lure children to their doom. You had better be aware of what’s happening and take steps to shield them from the danger … if you don’t, your child’s sanity and safety are at serious risk.
Does this sound alarmist? Actually, I cannot stress this fact enough … you have to be just as careful with your five year old on the internet as you would in the worst red-light district back alley in the darkest part of town. If you would not allow your twelve year old wander around a drug den or visit the sex shops in San Francisco, then why on Earth are you letting him or her loose on the internet without supervision?
Let’s look at some of the dangers that exist on the internet. The most obvious issue is Read more
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How to Discuss Internet Safety with Your Teen
Are you the parent of a teenager who uses the internet? If you are, have you already had the internet safety talk with your teenager? If you haven’t, it is time for that talk to occur. As nice as it is to be able to use the internet for school research projects or to communicate with friends online, it is important to remember that the internet can also be a danger to children and teenagers.
As nice as it is to hear that you should talk to your teenager about internet safety, you may be curious as to how you can go about doing so. Brining up the subject can be hard, as your teen may automatically become defensive. The good news is that you do have a number of different options. One of those options is Read more
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Easy Ways to Stay Involved In Your Child’s Internet Use
Are you the parent of a child or a teenager who uses the internet? If you are, do you know the importance of staying involved and in the know about your child’s internet use? Better yet, do you know how you can stay involved in your child’s use of the internet? If not, it is important that you take the time to familiarize yourself.
As nice as it is to hear that you should be active, involved, and in the know when it comes to your child or teenager and the internet, you may be wondering what is so important about doing so. Although you may use the internet to search for jobs online or pay your bills, it is important to remember that there is so much more out there. Your child can and may be doing more than just doing research for a school project. They may be using online chat rooms, private instant messaging programs, and social networking websites.
As for why online chat rooms, private instant messaging programs, and social networking sites are dangerous, it is important to remember Read more
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Children and Online Chat Rooms: The Dangers That Lurk
Are you the parent of a child or a teenager who wants to use internet chat rooms? Or, is your child already using them? If so, it is important that both you and your child know the dangers that often lurk around online chat rooms.
For starters, it is important to know that the computer and internet makes it easy for someone to be anyone they want to. In fact, an internet user can claim to be someone famous, a superhero, or another teenager. There is nothing out there that can stop them. If your child is using a chat room for teenagers or younger children, they need to know the dangers of exchanging personal information with strangers or “online friends.” Because, anyone can be at the other end of the computer.
Another common danger of using online chat rooms is Read more
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4 Signs That Your Teenager May Be In Trouble Online
Are you a parent who has a teenager who uses the internet? If you are, do you know that your teenager may run into trouble online? Their chances increase when they are using the internet to socialize with friends or make new friends. Your child may unintentionally fall victim to a child predator online or they may be harassed by those that they know online. But, would you know if your child is in trouble?
For your convenience, there are four signs that your teenager may be in trouble online. If any of these signs apply to your child, you will want to take action right away.
1 – They Get on the Computer at the Same Time Everyday
What many parents do not realize is that children and teenagers can easily become targets of online child predators. Many also do not realize that this process doesn’t always happen overnight. Some child predators pretend to be the ages of their targets. They then work to gain the trust of those targets. This can take a few days or a few weeks. You may be able to tell if this Read more
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How to Protect Your Child When Using the Internet
Are you the parent of a child or a teen who uses the internet? If so, you likely already know that the internet can be a dangerous place for a child, especially if your child uses online chat rooms or social networking websites. For that reason, there are a number of steps that you, as a parent, will want to take to protect your child when they use the internet.
The first step that you should take, to help keep your child safe online, is to know as much as you can about computers and the internet. Did you know that there are ways for you to see which websites have been visited on a computer? Did you know that some computers already have parental controls installed on them that just need to be set? You can only benefit from these tools that can help to protect your child if you know that they do exist.
Speaking of parental controls, be sure to know what your computer has. If you have an older model computer, you may benefit from purchasing additional software programs. These programs can easily be found Read more
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