Library of Congress

The Wall Street Journal The Al-Jazirah Deutsche Welle

Basic FactsBasic Facts

►23 million children age 6 to 17 had Internet 23 million children age 6 to 17 had Internet access at home at the end of 2003, which access at home at the end of 2003, which is a threefold growth since 2000.is a threefold growth since 2000.

►American children are spending an American children are spending an average of 5 hours and 29 minutes a day, average of 5 hours and 29 minutes a day, seven days a week, using media for seven days a week, using media for recreation.recreation. Most of this media usage is spent alone and Most of this media usage is spent alone and

unsupervised.unsupervised.

Sourced by: Cho and Cheon 2005: “Children’s Exposure to Negative Internet Content: Effects of Family Context.” Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media

Most recent study resultsMost recent study results

Courtesy of www.isafe.org

What you need to ask yourself What you need to ask yourself as a parent:as a parent:

How well do I know the Internet?How well do I know the Internet? How well (do I think) my child(ren) How well (do I think) my child(ren)

know the Internet?know the Internet? Have I ever sat down an discussed the Have I ever sat down an discussed the

dangers of the Internet with my dangers of the Internet with my child(ren)?child(ren)?

Do I know all the dangers that are Do I know all the dangers that are accessible to my child(ren)?accessible to my child(ren)?

Courtesy of netsmartz.org

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Recommendations to start:Recommendations to start:

► Parents are more vigilant about where their Parents are more vigilant about where their teen(s) go online if the computer is in a teen(s) go online if the computer is in a public area of the household.public area of the household.

► Parents with monitoring software are more Parents with monitoring software are more likely to review where their teen(s) go online likely to review where their teen(s) go online on a daily or weekly basis.on a daily or weekly basis.

►More than 90% of parents had difficulty More than 90% of parents had difficulty deciphering the meanings of frequently deciphering the meanings of frequently used Internet messaging abbreviations.used Internet messaging abbreviations. Internet Slang Dictionary

Main Aspects of ConcernMain Aspects of Concern

Social Networking Social Networking SitesSites Myspace, FacebookMyspace, Facebook

Instant MessagingInstant Messaging AIM, Yahoo, ICQAIM, Yahoo, ICQ

CyberbullyingCyberbullying Child Marketing Child Marketing

Protection PoliciesProtection Policies COPPACOPPA

Website Blocking Website Blocking SoftwareSoftware

Social Networking SitesSocial Networking Sites

Myspace, , Facebook Public and private Public and private

profilesprofiles Use of photosUse of photos Friend RequestsFriend Requests Potential HackingPotential Hacking Posting of Private Posting of Private

InformationInformation

Instant MessagingInstant Messaging

AOL, Yahoo!, ICQAOL, Yahoo!, ICQ ScreennamesScreennames ProfilesProfiles Learning the slangLearning the slang How to know the How to know the

difference between difference between “chatting” with “chatting” with friends and strangersfriends and strangers

CyberbullyingCyberbullying

How to recognize How to recognize signs if your child is signs if your child is a bully or is being a bully or is being bullied.bullied.

How to “google” How to “google” your child to see if your child to see if there is potenial there is potenial harmful information harmful information readily availble to readily availble to search engines.search engines.

Child Marketing Protection Child Marketing Protection PoliciesPolicies

COPPA (The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) COPPA (The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) Established in 2000.Established in 2000. Requires that online operators put links to their privacy statement Requires that online operators put links to their privacy statement

on their homepage and on each page where personal information is on their homepage and on each page where personal information is collected.collected.

How to recognize these policies, and look for them to make How to recognize these policies, and look for them to make sure they are present on the sites your child is frequenting.sure they are present on the sites your child is frequenting.

Understanding Protection Understanding Protection PoliciesPolicies

“According to studies, 68% of 162 for-profit Websites did collect information from children. Most solicited information was email addresses, names, birthdates, age and even 32 % asked for a postal address.”

Sourced by Cai, Gantz, Schwartz and Wang 2003: “Children's Website Adherence to the FTC’s Online Privacy Protection Rule.” Journal of Applied Communication Research

It’s Important to understand that a lot of children-directed websites are built intentionally to monitor how a child navigates through the site. This specifically gives them direct marketing tactics that they use to sell Child products in the future.

Website Blocking SoftwareWebsite Blocking Software

Best software for Best software for website website monitoringmonitoringSpyAgent, SpyAgent,

WebWatcher, WebWatcher, SpectorProSpectorPro

How to program How to program your software to your software to your own personal your own personal settingssettings

Tips to RememberTips to Remember Communication is Communication is

KEY!KEY! The more you are The more you are

interested in their interested in their surfing habits, the less surfing habits, the less they have to hide.they have to hide.

Don’t be sneaky and Don’t be sneaky and try to catch them…try to catch them…remember you are not remember you are not the expert! They will the expert! They will find new ways to hide find new ways to hide their suspicious their suspicious activities.activities.

Keeping the lines of Keeping the lines of communication open communication open helps create a sense of helps create a sense of trust.trust.

Tips to RememberTips to Remember

Keep the Internet Keep the Internet access in a public access in a public area of the area of the house.house. Children are less Children are less

likely to visit likely to visit suspicous sites suspicous sites and chat rooms and chat rooms when supervision when supervision is provided.is provided.

HomeworkHomework

►Have a sit down with your kids expressing Have a sit down with your kids expressing your interesting in their Internet habits.your interesting in their Internet habits. Once you find out what they are interested in Once you find out what they are interested in

(i.e. Myspace, AIM, Facebook or all) take a few (i.e. Myspace, AIM, Facebook or all) take a few minutes each day to surf each to learn how to minutes each day to surf each to learn how to navigate each site/program.navigate each site/program.

►Write down any questions you have to bring Write down any questions you have to bring to class next week, as we will be looking in-to class next week, as we will be looking in-depth at how to maneuver each application.depth at how to maneuver each application.