Brian J Zwit Executive Director
What s the difference between the Internet and your neighborhood? While opening up the world in ways unimaginable even just ten years ago: the same threats exist on the Internet that exist in the school yard, neighborhood, and home; and the same behavioral standards apply to the Internet that apply in those settings as well. The biggest differences are: the speed at which information, scams, hoaxes, gossip, and other things spread on the Internet; the relative but not perfect anonymity of the Internet; and the potential for these things to be distributed over a very large geographical area. Technologies and processes exists to help address all the known threats on the Internet. However, it is still up to everyone to use available technologies and their own common sense and good judgment.
How is the Internet evolving? Today, we have the new World Wide Web aka Web 2.0. Web 1.0: source of information Web 2.0: user generated content, meeting place, customizable Network/browser as platform Mash-ups User generated content Blogs Video Pictures Communication Sharing and connections facilitated Customizable Individual decides how big her virtual world is and what it contains Semi-public networked life is now a reality for older teens and young adults. It is rapidly moving both upstream (30 and 40 year olds) and downstream (young teens). Points of access are rapidly expanding beyond the PC to other devices, aided by the rapidly expanding wireless networks.
What are children doing online? Researching Homework, hobbies, sports Exploring Music, movies, culture Consuming Music, electronics, clothes Talking Instant Messages (IM), e-mail, VOIP, live video Exchanging files Legal and illegal music, software, pictures, video (using P2P software) Publishing Personal web pages, blogs Gaming Online gaming Growing Up Different personalities, attitudes
What is the most popular online activity for teens?
What is a social networking site? A social networking site generally consists of user profiles linked together by a network of friends. To be linked, the two users must both agree to be friends. Once linked together, each user s friends is linked to the other user s friends. Profiles can potentially include personally identifiable as well as general information about the user. Profiles can also include photographs, video, and blogs. The purpose of the profiles and links is to allow a user to interact with his friends and the friends of his friends. Many sites also allow any user to browse or search for a profile and enter into a conversation with new people. Adults, typically, use these sites to keep in touch with family and friends, maintaining and finding new business contacts, and for dating and networking. For teens, these sites are a way of life, creating a way to live a networked, semi-public existence.
What is an online profile?
What security features are available to users? Most networking sites have a minimum age to join its community of users. Given current technology, it is impractical to verify a user s age. Users have options to: Control who can make them a friend and who can be their friend; Hide online; Hide their birth date; Prevent the forwarding of pictures; and Limit who can add comments to blogs and approve comments before posting to the user s blog. Profiles for users under a certain age are private by default, i.e., only friends can view the profile, and are excluded from searches. Profile options for different ages are age appropriate, e.g., users that are younger than 17 can t choose swinger as a relationship option. Users can report inappropriate content and images and child pornography.
What is in a profile? A twist.
What can teens do to protect themselves? 1. Choose sites that provide you with good privacy and security features, know how to use those features, and use them. 2. Don t post your full name, address, social security number, or other sensitive information and use an online name that doesn t reveal too much about yourself. 3. Only post information that you are comfortable with others seeing and knowing about you. Once posted, it can t be taken back and may end up being looked at by the college recruiter. 4. Don t meet your online friends in person without your parent. 5. If it feels wrong or uncomfortable, stop what you are doing and talk to your parents.
What can parents do to protect their children? 1. Don t panic and remember your parents would have been upset with you if they knew what you were doing when you were fifteen. 2. Use the Internet with your children. 3. Check your child s social networking profile tonight. It is public information and, because it is public, it isn t snooping. 4. Talk to your children about what information is okay to post and what information isn t okay to post and remind your children that once they post information online, they can t take it back. 5. Investigate the sites that your children are using. Sign up for the site yourself and then work with your child to help them use the privacy features of those sites. 6. Use Parental Controls and monitoring software (default for most settings for kids is to block any sites allowing info sharing but settings for younger teens vary). 7. Get familiar with the shorthand and a social networking site.
What should every parent do to protect themselves and their children while they are online? 1. Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software on your computer. a. Turn on automatic protection; b. Run full scans for viruses and spyware at least weekly; and c. Update the software weekly to detect the latest viruses and spyware. 2. Install a firewall on your computer and set the firewall to run when you start the computer. 3. Check weekly for security patches to your operating system and install them immediately. 4. If a child is in the house, install and use parental controls and share your child s online experience. 5. Use common sense if it is too good to be true, it isn t true.
How do parental controls work? Sign in...
Blocks inappropriate content...
Allows a child to request access from a parent...
Easy to set up but customizable by a parent...
Set up parental controls...
Tailor the web browsing experience to your child...
Allow any or just some to send mail to your child...
Limit who your child can speak to online...
Block your child from unmoderated AOL chat rooms...
Control when and how long your child is online...
Monitor your child s online activities...
Prohibit your child from downloading software...
Respond to your child s requests for access...
Check up on your child s activities...
Where can I get additional information? Federal Trade Commission: www.onguardonline.gov GetNetWise: www.getnetwise.org Internet Keep Safe Coalition: www.ikeepsafe.org i-safe: www.i-safe.org National Cyber Security Alliance: www.staysafeonline.org Wired Safety: www.wiredsafety.org Free AOL Parental Controls: daol.aol.com/safetycenter/parentalcontrols Steps: Create an AOL screen name for yourself and one for each of your children under your screen name; Download and install Internet Access Controls; and Go to parentalcontrols.aol.com to change the settings for each screen name.