2 Interesting News Stories from the Weekend
The first one if from Janie Porter from CBS in Tampa and includes video. It’s basically a taped demonstration (or a story thereon) of an FBI Cyber Division agent signing into a chatroom as a 13-year-old girl – and the ridiculous responses and ‘requests’ he gets.
Check out the story here (click on “video story” to the right under the thumbnail pic): WATCH: FBI catches online predators
The second story is by Victoria Marty at the Evansville Courier Press in Indiana. Her piece paints a shocking reality of how quickly someone can obtain information on your true identity with just one small slip of real information… like a first name and city… or a phone number. All too scary.
Read her story here: Class stresses online safety for youth who frequent Internet
Incidentally, we donated $10,000 worth of PC Pandora to the South Knox School Corp., which is about 50 miles north of Evansville. So, in that area, kids are being kept safer online at school – thanks to us and the great staff there!!
October 15th, 2007 at 8:02 PM
its scary sometimes how trusting kids are with people on the net, when I grew up it was not like this, we trusted people yes, but we did not have the net to worry about, that something parents need to let their kids know about, if parent spent more time talking to their kids about the net and how grown people are sometimes not to be trusted.
It sad to say that their are some scary people in this world, and that its up to us as parents to tell the kids about it. If not us then who? The teachers? Kids don’t have much respect for teachers any more, not like they used to. I am not sure why but its how it is.
All I can say is ,parents talk to your kids, help them understand that not all adults are safe and not all adults tell the truth esp. on line.
October 16th, 2007 at 7:42 AM
RE: teachers…
belive me, I know. My wife is a teacher. I wish teacher were aloud to slap kids still. That’s what kept us in line. The generation in jr high and hgih school now is doomed. From all different sides and on all different levels…
But that is for a different blog. Yes, we do need to educate our kids – but I think parents need to be educated first — and that is something they voluntarily have to do.
October 16th, 2007 at 7:57 PM
I am in total agreement with you Chris. I have had this speech (lecture) with my daughter. I’ve also talked to both of my neices about the dangers of the chat rooms and forums. I think it’s important that we teach our children that they can be dangerous.
I haven’t let me daughter watch “Dateline” To catch a predator yet. She is only 11, but I have taught her that there are bad people online as well as in the area.
Parents have to teach their children- as you said- kids these days don’t respect their teachers as much as we did growing up.
I’m glad others are doing articles and tv shows that show parents how easy it is for these predators to get into contact with their children.
October 18th, 2007 at 5:20 AM
NYgal,Ken
Yes its high time people took notice of what is going on around them. Teachers can talk but kids hardly listen, sometimes its the same for the parents, thats why sometimes its good to let kids tell kids.
I think it would be ok for the kids to help each other. Its wonderful when parents do it and become involved, but as I said sometimes kids do not listen to their parents. Teach the older kids and let them teach the younger ones. Not only does it help the parents and teachers it also lets the older kids feel some responsibility and make them feel better knowing that they helped.