Note: January 31, 2008: Video is now available at: http://www.kenreiss.com/InternetSafety_KReiss/InternetSafety_KReiss.html

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Following are the notes from my interview with Dr. George Curry last week. The program was video recorded and will be airing on local cable networks in central CT in the next few days.

Please comment on this blog entry, if you saw the program or want to discuss the topic further.

Internet Safety

Ken Reiss

Part I: The Problem

Why isn’t the Internet Safe?
- Access
- Anonymity
- Allure
- Assumptions
- Avoidance

1 out of 5 kids have been solicited sexually online. 1 out of 17 kids have been harassed, threatened, or bullied online. One third of kids have been contacted by a stranger and half of these were considered inappropriate. Most kids will not report inappropriate Internet contact to their parents because they are afraid of losing Internet privileges. 9 out of 10 parents will never know that any inappropriate contact has occurred.

Problem #1: Access

- Access to the Internet is easy
- Prevalent: The Internet today is as much a part of every-day life for children as food, shelter, and clothing
- Kids are nonchalant about using the Internet – it has been around as long as they can remember!
- Children can very easily be exposed to inappropriate written content/images, bad behavior, unsuitable friends, and Internet predators online

There is a paradigm gap between today’s children and their parents perception of the Internet. 70 MILLION children go ONLINE EVERY DAY! 1 out of 4 are solicited in some way!!

Problem #2: Anonymity

- Children think their actions on the Internet are safe
- Predators know that kids often are not monitored and trusting
- People think that what they do on the Internet isn’t real
- Some Internet culture actually encourages deception and alter-egos

Problem #3: Allure

- The Internet is exciting to kids
- Peer pressure
- Kids want to join and be part of a group
- Most online social networks are dangerous and deceptive and encourage dishonest, untrustworthy, and risky behavior

Kids WANT TO BE PART OF SOMETHING, especially 12-16 yrs old. Examples of typical social networks: Family, Church, School, and Clubs (boy scouts, girl scouts, etc.) What do we value in a social network: Honesty, Openness, Trust, Safety, and Nourishing. Many Online Social Networks (i.e. MySpace, etc) violate these values by requiring kids to lie to join, sharing who you are, you put yourself at risk, can’t build trust when you can’t really know who you’re talking to Story after story of kids hurt by people they met at these sites

Visit: www.TheDeadKidsOfMySpace.com if you don’t think this is an issue!!! Read some of the writeups on there! After reading this site for 20 minutes, you'll completely understand the risk and feel compelled to do something about it!! Webkins!

Using the Internet, the most heinous criminal is effectively closer to your children than the person sitting next to them now! And they are available to them 24/7!

Parents are still parents, when their children are online! You wouldn’t allow your child to walk alone down the streets of new york city at night – Why would you allow them to wander around the Internet? Be willing to ban certain areas of the internet, including chat rooms, social networks, and peer-to-peer services. Parents: Get yourself your OWN MySpace.com account - See with your own eyes the things your child(ren) are being exposed to! Get your children involved in local clubs, where you can meet those involved fact-to-face.

TRUST! Work together as a family!

You wouldn’t leave your front door wide open with a sign saying “Come on in”? That’s what you’re doing when you’re in the Internet without following these suggestions

Tell your kids that you will be reviewing their content, per the agreement they signed