The Importance of Discussing Internet Safety with Your Teen
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 Read more
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Rules to Set for Online Message Boards and Chat Rooms
Internet Safety for Kids: Rules to Set for Online Message Boards and Chat Rooms
Is your child or teenager interested in meeting new people online? At this age, they aren’t very likely to meet the person in real life, but communicate through way of the internet instead. As nice as this sounds, it is important to remember that it can still be dangerous. Just because your child is talking to someone who claims to be another teenager, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are.
Since it is relatively easy for false identities to be created online, especially for internet and child predators, you will want to set strict rules if you intend to let your child use online message boards and internet chat rooms to do this communicating. As for what you rules you should set, it will honestly depend on your child’s age. Teenagers may have a little bit more freedom, but still don’t let them use online chat rooms, online message boards, or the internet in general without at least a few rules.
One of the many rules that you may want to impose, concerning internet chat rooms and online message boards is Read more
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April is Internet Safety Month
Posted: April 1, 2009 04:03 PM
Updated: April 1, 2009 04:03 PM
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(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.
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Keeping kids safe in cyberspace
March 26, 2009 – 11:56 AM
“There are people out there searching the Internet looking for children to prey upon,” said Capt. Tom Ring with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. “That’s why we (WCSO) joined in a multi-city undercover cyber crime investigation.”
Most children of all ages have easy access to the Internet.
Cell phones are capable of reaching out to cyberspace, almost every household has Internet for the home computer and if a child is limited in one location, there are alternative ways to go online.
This easy access is the reason law enforcement agencies across Florida work around the clock to flush out predators online.
Investigator Angelique Yates (WSCO) spent hours “chatting” with predators during the undercover operation.
“This is what I’ve been trained to do,” said Yates. “There is a different language online and knowing how to communicate as a potential victim is how Read more
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Kids spend 44 hours a month online
Friday, 20 March 2009
Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk
Children spend twice as much time on their internet as their parents think, research has revealed.
Children in the UK admitted to spending a massive 44 hours a month online, said internet security providers Symantec, while parents believed they were only using the internet for 19 hours a month.
| “Parental controls are essential for keeping children safe online” |
However, 93 per cent of UK parents believe that it’s their responsibility to protect their children online, with the number of adults setting parental controls on home computers increasing by 20 per cent since last year.
“Parental controls are essential for keeping children safe online,” said Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director. 54 per cent of parents in the UK now set parental controls on web usage – higher than the global average of Read more
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The Importance of Monitoring Your Child’s MySpace Use
If you are an avid internet user, there is a good chance that you have heard of MySpace before. As an avid internet user, you likely already know that MySpace is a social networking site that has took the internet by storm. As neat as MySpace looks from the standpoint of an internet user, you also need to look at it from the standpoint of a parent if you are one.
So, are you a parent whose child uses the internet? If you are, there is a good chance that your child is also using MySpace. Do you know? You may be surprised just how many junior high school and high school students use MySpace as a way to communicate with friends, as well as a way to meet new friends. Although all websites have the potential to be dangerous, MySpace, you can say, has an increased risk. For that reason, it is important to monitor your child’s use of MySpace.
As important as it is to hear that MySpace can be dangerous for children and teenagers, you may be looking for more information. Many parents are unaware of the dangers that MySpace and Read more
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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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