Cathy NelsonTeacher Librarian / Media Specialist
Conway Middle SchoolHorry County Schools
R U My Friend? Social Networking Explained
Children today are…Digital Natives
Parents today are…Digital Immigrants
Parents want…• safety• balance
What worries parents…• predators/strangers• privacy• cyberbullying• inappropriate content
Cookie cutter safety?
There is NO failsafe answerto protecting ourchildren online.
Our biggest ally iseducation.
No one can take theplace of the parent.
Do the possibilities
scare you?
Let’s unplug ‘em!Right?...
Why not just unplug?Interactive
Engaging
Children are connecting, collaborating, communicating.
Find, store, create, critique, and share information
Harness, evaluate, and create information effectively
21st century literacy andglobal citizenship skills
Tool for learning
Daily life of digital natives
Network
What are our children doing online? And how do I keep them safe?
• What (and who) is out there?
• Why not just unplug?• What should I do to keep
them safe?• Where do I find
resources?
What (and who) is out there? What are our children doing online?
93% of all Americans between 12 and 17 years old use the internet
74% of teens now say the computer they use is in a public place in the home
A large majority of teens (71%) have established online profiles (including those on social networking sites such as MySpace)
One in ten young people (13%) reports having a handheld device that connects to the Internet
Among the 96% of young people who have ever gone online, 65% say they go online most often from home, 14% from school, 7% from a friend's house, and 2% from a library or other location.
65% of high school students admit to unsafe, inappropriate, or illegal activities online
Chat/Instant messaging• One-to-one chat or many participants “talking” at
the same time• Free and easy to access• Feels anonymous
Short Message Service (SMS)Also known as “texting”
13 year old Morgan Pozgar, crowned the National Texting champion
Chat and Instant Messaging
Risks
Strangers can contact your children
It’s hard to monitor
Searchable online profiles
Cyber-bullying
Chat and Instant Messaging
Learn the lingo:
What should I do to keep them safe?
•Check screen names and profile
•Know your child’s password
•Use parental controls
•Stay involved
•Use log feature with child
Social Networking- For younger children: For older children:
Social Networking
Risks
• World’s largest bulletin board
• No “take-backs”
• Must remember to keep personal info private
• Cyberbullying
• Stress importance of not sharing personal information
• Real-life lessons apply
• Keep track of profiles and posts
What should I do to keep them safe?
School workWebsites, wikis, search engines
School work / Searching
Risks
Finding inappropriate material
Finding inaccurate resources
School Work / Searching What should I do to keep them safe?
•Filter
•Parental controls
•Search engine preferences
•Discuss validity of resources
Kid-friendly sites
Effective online searching
GamesSome single player games, some allow you to
interactively play with others around the world.
File Sharing Risks
• Computer security and privacy
• Access to inappropriate material
• Copyright law
Photo and Video Sharing Risks
•No “take-backs”
•Can be posted anonymously
Predators…
1 in 5 children between the ages of 10 and 17 has received unwanted sexual solicitations online.
1 in 4 children has been exposed to sexually explicit pictures online without seeking or expecting them.
Predators…
The search frequently begins in a chat room.
They find similar interests, build trust, encourage secrecy, gather personal information (fishing), and play back emotionally what they see in the child (mirroring).
They groom their victim.
Predators…Warning signs• Time spent online• Pornography• Phone use• Gifts or packages from
someone you don’t know.• Concealing computer
content• Unsolicited mail and gifts• Behavior change• Using different online
account
Cyberbullying
One in three online teens have experienced online harassment.
Girls are more likely to be victims.
Most teens say that they are more likely to be bullied offline than online.
Cyberbullying
If your child is threatened with violence,
• Contact law enforcement officials,
including SRO
• Save the original message
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children - Cyber Tip Line
Communication is key
"We would never show our parents everything that we do online or with our mobile phones and iPods because it would be too shocking and it would cause them to be … afraid or enraged or saddened or disappointed or humiliated or more distant or more controlling or worse, ashamed of me.
...and we're NOT about to start a bloody battle at home or risk having the computer taken away. So, it is safer to remain silent and deceptive. Besides, you would never understand. Most parents are clueless about our world and what we do with computers.“
(June, 2005 - April, 2007) This information was compiled by Donna Sawyer based on feedback from interviews with several hundred children, ages 11-20, in schools, youth groups, and small focus groups in North Carolina. The interviews included students from various cultural backgrounds: India, England, Belgium, South Korea, and Thailand.)
Remember, every child and every family is different.
• Ages
• Gender(s)
• Temperament
• Maturity
• Computer skills and comfort level
• Values
What should I do to keep them safe?
Set Rules…
• Teach your child never to give out personal information
• Treat others as you would like to be treated.
• Cheating, stealing, harming others- wrong ON and OFFline
• Tell parent / other adult if something you see online makes you feel uncomfortable.
• Think before you post.
Use Parental Controls…
• Computer in central location • Consider filtering / monitoring software• Implement parental controls (ISP, online)• Virus protection and firewall• Set guidelines / rules; sign safety
agreement• Use child friendly search
engines • Use the internet WITH
your child
Use Parental Controls…
• Know your child’s friends• Consider creating separate accounts
on your machine• Be aware of other computers
your child is using• Report “stalking” or sexual exploitation
or threats to law enforcement
Instill Media Literacy Skills…
• Learn about the internet
• Talk with your child about how to find, analyze, evaluate, interact with, and create information online.
• Media Awareness Toolkit for Parents and Teachers
Communicate.
• Know what your child is doing and who your child is communicating with online.
• Maintain a dialogue with your children about their lives ONLINE and OFFLINE.
• Keep it positive.
Age appropriate guidelines
Nothing takes the place of the parent.
Where do I find resources?
Internet Safety Online Resources
Implications for the K12 School:Educate your parents.