Are you a parent?  If you are, have you already had the internet safety talk with your child?  If you have yet to do so, this is a discussion that you will want to have.  Since many teenagers like using social networking websites, online message boards, internet chat rooms, and instant messaging programs, internet safety is a subject that must be discussed.

As nice as it is to hear that you should talk about internet safety and internet use in general with your child, you may be curious as to why it is important that you do so.  For your convenience, just a few of the many reasons why you should have the internet safety talk with your child are outlined below.

1 – They May Not Know

How old is your child?  If they are just starting to use the internet, they may be unaware of the dangers that lurk on many popular websites, including online chat rooms and social networking websites.  If your child has just started using the internet to research school projects, be sure you discuss internet safety with them, as it won’t be long before they realize that they can communicate with and make new friends online.

2 – It Is Your Job, As the Parent

Perhaps, the greatest reason why you should talk to your child about internet use and internet safety is because it is your job to do so.  As a parent, it is your reasonability to guide and protect your child.  Parents need to set some rules and guidelines with their children and the internet shouldn’t be any different.  You don’t have to completely outlaw chat rooms, online message boards, or social networking websites, but be sure that you set clear cut rules that your child will understand concerning their use.

3 – It Will Help to Keep Them Safe

As much as we would all like to believe that the world is filled with nice, happy people, it isn’t.  Unfortunately, many of those people, who may be child predators, are finding it easy to target children online.  Why?  Because the internet enables anyone to create their own identity.  While most internet users that you meet online are truthful, all it takes is one online predator to cause serious harm or damage to a family.  When you talk to your child about the dangers of the internet, you are keeping them well aware, which can help to keep them safe.

4 – You Can Teach Them What to Do

As for teaching your child what to do online, there are a number of different aspects that should be examined.  For starters, teach your child how to properly use the internet, especially chat rooms and social networking websites.  Let them know that they cannot discuss personal information or share pictures or videos with strangers.  You should also let your child know what to do if they are targeted or harassed by someone online.  This should involve coming to you immediately or saving all information, as opposed to erasing it from the computer, until you or the police can examine it.

5 – They Can Feel More Comfortable Talking to You

If your child is in high school or junior high school, they may automatically get defensive when you try to talk to them about internet safety.  This is because most kids believe that they already know all that is needed to know and others just assume that you are being an overbearing parent.  Despite this, discussing internet safety with your child in a calm and cool manner is likely to make your teenager feel comfortable about the issue.  This increases the chances of them approaching you when they run into trouble online.

As you can see, there are a number of reasons why you should talk to your child about internet safety.  Although this piece focused on discussing internet safety with teenagers, remember that internet safety is a lesson that can and should be started as soon as your child turns a computer on.

Do You Need To Know What Your Child is Doing on The Internet? Click Here Now!

Article Written By J. Foley

Technorati Tags: General, Internet Safety with Your Teen

Posted: April 1, 2009 04:03 PM

Updated: April 1, 2009 04:03 PM

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE=’JavaScript1.1′>if (document.layers) {document.write(‘<SCR’ + ‘IPT language=JavaScript1.1 SRC=/Global/ad.asp?type=single&cls1=News&src1=loc&spct1=100&sz1=wnsz_20&callType=script />’); document.close();}</SCRIPT>

(Lincoln, Neb.) Attorney General Jon Bruning today announced that April is Internet Safety Month.  Bruning is kicking off the month with Internet safety presentations to students in Sidney and Arcadia.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, one in seven children who regularly use the Internet is sexually solicited.  One in 11 is harassed or threatened and almost 80 percent of solicitations happen at a home computer.  Social-networking sites are one tool that predators continue to use to contact children.

“Kids in Nebraska use these sites as a way to connect with friends,” Attorney General Jon Bruning said, “They post photos and personal information without understanding the implications. For an online sex predator, that’s like hitting the jackpot. They’ll use that information to strike up a conversation, become a child’s friend and then ask to meet in person.”

The Attorney General’s Office also warns that more sex predators are using cell phones to communicate with potential victims through texting, instant messaging and picture sharing. Remember many cell phones are basically pocket-sized computers.

Here are some things parents can do to help protect their children:

* Use parental controls and filtering tools that can block harmful content from the Internet and limit who and when your child can call or text from a cell phone.
* Select a cell phone without Internet access or text messaging features.
* Take the time to read through your children’s text messages and networking site homepages.
* Remind children to never post personal information such as phone number, address or age on the Internet.
* Encourage your kids to talk to you if they receive threatening or uncomfortable messages.

* Warn children against meeting with someone they’ve met online.

The Attorney General’s Office is partnering with Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh and Sen. Tom White on the Child Protection Bill.  This bill expands the crime of online enticement to include communications through electronic devices other than computers, like cell phones. Under this legislation, it’s also illegal for the most heinous registered sex-offenders to access social-networking sites.

For more information on Internet safety, visit www.safekids.ne.gov.
AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Technorati Tags: child predators online, General, onlne child safety, parental controls

Game systems such as the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii offer children a whole new world of gaming excitement. Unfortunately, they also offer child predators a new avenue to reach them.

Most videos have sound associated with the game, but the systems also sell additional audio accessories or earpieces on which there is an entirely separate conversation happening.

Brothers Chauncey and AJ Rodriguez like to use the Playstation 3 game system and earpiece. The earpiece allows them to hold conversations with other gamers who are also playing the same game. The brothers say it’s incredible to be involved in conversations with people from all over the world.

“People play online all the time, and there’s more competition,” said AJ, when asked why he prefers playing his favorite games online.

The teens say setting up the communication device is easy.

“Once you find a wireless connection, you go into the game system and go online,” said 16-year-old gamer Mike Spegar.

Spegar prefers to play the Nintendo Wii online because it’s free. He pointed out that Xbox charges a monthly fee of a few dollars. He also says Xbox is more popular with hardcore gamers.

“There are games that appeal to all age levels. There are activities that appeal to all age levels. It’s really just about identifying the right way to use the console for each individual person,” said Melissa Wilson, the gaming safety advocate for Microsoft Systems which created the Xbox systems.

Wilson adds that online games are so popular that 17 million people subscribe to Xbox alone all over the world.

But family advocates warn parents that where children go, child predators are sure to follow.

“If people start to get attached to each other, friendshipwise, they’ll ask for a phone number which is not the safest thing to do,” said Spegar.

The 16-year-old says he has experienced firsthand what it’s like for a stranger to try to get information from him while playing a game online.

He says a friend of his commonly befriends other online gamers.

“He’s just met these people online. I’ll ask if he’s met them before, and he’ll tell me that he hasn’t. He’ll usually ask for their screen name on AOL or Myspace. You do have to be careful with those people because you don’t know if they are who they say they are,” said Spegar.

A quick look at Xbox’s online chat conversations on YouTube reveals that many exchanges are laced with profanity and racist remarks. But while the conversations can be crude, more alarming are the FBI’s warnings that pedophiles are increasingly using online game systems to communicate and lure children.

“It’s extremely important for parents to be involved. They are the first line of defense,” said Wilson. “All the major game systems have a parental control section where parents can dictate what games can be played online according to their rating.”

Some games for the Nintendo Wii system, the gamers must have their friends personal codes in order to play with them.

Personal codes are like personal identification numbers. In those games, players can only message the opponents whose personal codes they know.

On the Xbox system’s parental control section, parents have similar options.

“It also helps parents determine if can they game with strangers online, or only people parents approve of, or should they not be able to do that online at all,” said Wilson.

The Xbox 360 also has a family timer which lets parents dictate how long and when a child can play. But AJ and Chauncey’s mother has her own solution.

“For the last month, the PS2, the Xbox 360, and PS3 have been in the trunk of my car, [because my kids] are grounded! And when I’m not home, I want to make sure they are not playing,” said working mom, Adela Garcia.

The game consoles also give gamers access to internet chat rooms, websites, movies and other online options, so the more parents know, the more they can be in control.

“All too often, they don’t use the tools that are right at their fingertips,” said Wilson.

For tips on getting savvy about online gaming, check out the website, www.theparentsedge.com.

Technorati Tags: child predators online, online child safety, teen safety online