New Study on Child Online Experiences with Predators
An interesting study was released that shows most of the unwanted solicitation of minors actually happens in chat rooms and via instant messaging. [Study comes from February issue of Pediatrics]
Steven Reinberg of HealthDay Reporter compiled a report here: Social Networking Sites Safer Than IM or Chat Rooms. I, of course, encourage reading his article – it’s very good – but here is a summary of the findings and our position on the matter:
Reinberg quotes the head of the study as saying, “We need to stop worrying about social networking sites and pay more attention to what young people are doing online generally.”
THIS IS EXACTLY RIGHT. Predators are out there – everywhere. It doesn’t matter where you go, they can easily strike up a conversation with your child. Don’t be so quick to think that if they avoid social networking websites, your kids will be OK. In fact, instant messaging is a form of social networking that can host the same threats.
It’s important for parents to step up and monitor ALL activity. Assume your child is never 100% safe. The Internet is a big place – it’s a great place, but it has hidden dangers like the rest of the world. Know what your kids are doing… and take advantage of available technology like our soon-to-be-released PC Pandora monitoring software version 5.0!!
February 12th, 2008 at 11:25 PM
A major problem in protecting kids online is that youngsters see the Internet as their preserve, because they use it most, and have invented all sorts of ways to manipulate it. When adult parents try to caution them about how to be safe, kids often feel that adults are ignorant, and often they are right. Parents need to become cyberskilled or their children become orphans in cyberspace.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:22 PM
Exactly! And until parent buck up and learn and see for themselves – they are helpless and powerless to really educate their kids and guide them. This is the first generation (the kids that didn’t have to learn the Internet slowly as it evolved. Unfortunately, many parents were ahead of the prime net age when it was developing… thankfully I think that margin is closing. For instance, I am VERY knowledgeable in the net and by the time my kid is old enough to surf – if they think they can pull the wool over our eyes they got another think coming’! But I digress, you are absolutely right! Parents need to educate themselves and show their kids that they are either on their level or – even better – know more than the kids do.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:36 PM
[...] addition to the Pediatrics study released a couple weeks ago, a new study by the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and [...]