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

File Sharing Risks

• Computer security and privacy

• Access to inappropriate material

• Copyright law

Sharing and viewing photos and videos

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.