The Public Opinion Soapbox

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 2596 Location: Chambersburg

Ha Ha!

Another broad topic! On purpose-- please allow to mutate at will.

I want to start with an article appearing today (first day of 2008) dealing with our precious little germ carriers (aka children) and the internet. (Article in following post.)
Last month, my son was given the priviledge of having his computer in his room. We (okay, I mostly supervised) built a loft bed with a desk and shelves, setting up an 'office'of his own. (for the record, he cried...for joy!)

I realize 'they' do not recommend computers be used without supervision, but we have taken precautions. His operating system requires an administrator (me) to enter a password everytime someone tries to visit an unapproved website. We also installed spyware so that I can see everything he is doing while sitting at one of my computers (I can also remotely mess with his programs, but I wouldn't do that...much.)

I know this forum has members far more knowledgeable than myself, both with technology AND parenting, so...

Question: Is this enough? I'm relatively confident, but I don't want to feel too secure. We talk about dangers and chat rooms and being obnoxious and begging for stuff from other gamers (I'll be darned if I let him be one of those people!)

For the record, he's on Puzzle Pirates, Webkinz (that surprised me, I thought they targeted a younger group, but alot of his friends are all over it!) Toontown, U.B. Funkey, Lego, Runescape and Neopets (yeah, I play that one, too Very Happy

) We visit Youtube together (he got a camcorder for his birthday--god help me! Confused

) and he's hinted that he wants a MySpace account, but I'm resisting.

Input please.
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.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 2596 Location: Chambersburg

Disney, YouTube hot with young surfers
By TRACY PANZER Staff writer

Disney and Webkinz top the list of favorites among a group of Chambersburg Area School District fourth- and fifth-graders surveyed on Internet habits. But also on the list are YouTube and a handful of social networking Web sites.

Many students are using the sites innocently, parents and educators said, but dangers still exist.

"It's scary sometimes to think about how children use the Internet because they often don't realize the dangers," parent Jodi Furry said. "The kids were so honest in answering their (survey) questions, and that's how they are on the Web."

The surveys were taken in a handful of fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms throughout the district this fall. Results were compiled over the past month, and will be used during future Internet safety workshops for parents.

Information Director Sylvia Rockwood, who oversees the district's library department, said the results mirrored the surfing habits of kids across the country.

"One interesting note reported by the librarians was students were very excited to share information about what they do online, and they were surprised that adults knew so much about what they did online," Rockwood said. "This tells us how important it is for parents, teachers and adults to maintain an open dialogue with children about their online habits."

Survey results

CASD librarian Susan Berrier said the results were an eye opener, and added it's surprising that Internet safety workshops now
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need to be presented at the elementary level.

One survey of fifth-graders showed 78.9 percent had a computer with Internet at their house, and 98.2 percent of the students said they accessed the Web. The majority of the students access the Web at their house.

More than half the students surveyed in one school said they spend the most time online playing games "where it is me vs. the computer." Similar results were found in a survey of fifth-graders at another school.

In a survey of fourth-graders, 78.9 percent of those polled said they like to play online games with other people.

Web sites geared toward children -- Disney, Webkinz and Cartoon Network -- were popular sites to visit, according to the survey. Other students said they access the Internet for MSN, Hotmail and Yahoo. Many mentioned YouTube as a favorite place to visit.

Some students in each survey indicated they use the Web to chat with friends, while others said they have profiles on social networking sites like Myspace and Xanga.

The majority of the students surveyed indicated their parents were aware of their online activity, and a small percentage indicated that they or a friend sometimes do things online that could be unsafe or get them in trouble.

One student wrote of a friend who converses on Myspace with strangers, many of whom often are older. The student said the strangers ask the friend personal questions.

"I'd like to say 'No Internet,' but I know that's not possible," Furry said. "We didn't have the whole world at our fingertips like our children do today. The Internet is part of our child's world, and we've got to learn to work with it. "

Hidden dangers

Berrier said most Web sites can be both fun and educational for students, but at the same time can pose some dangers if not used properly.

YouTube is proof positive, she said.

"There are so many great things kids can experience on YouTube. Some are educational. Some are just good for a laugh," Berrier said. "But at the same time kids have at their fingertips immediate access to material that is inappropriate for their age group."

Berrier said Disney's Web site is geared toward children. It's an age-appropriate site that includes activities and games for children. It's also got a chat feature.

"That's one of my biggest concerns," Berrier said. "Why do Web sites like this have to even include a chat feature at all?"

She said sites geared toward children are the perfect place for predators to prey. Just like children can pretend to be old enough to access Myspace, adults can register as a child, she said.

She said predators know the lingo of children, and know how to relate. They often have perfected the task of connecting with young children, she said.

"Where better to find little kids than these Web sites?," she asked.

Roles of the school, parents

Rockwood said schools and parents both have responsibilities in keeping kids safe while online.

"The Internet pervades all aspects of our lives and as an important learning tool, we as educators are responsible for teaching our students how to use online resources effectively and safely," she said.

She added: "However, students spend the majority of their online leisure time outside of school so parents, grandparents and other adults must also be knowledgeable about safe online practices to reinforce what students are learning in school."

Rockwood said the district has a Web filter designed to prevent students from accessing inappropriate Web sites.

The library department also works with students to teach them how to use the Internet as a research tool, Berrier said.

Rockwood said as part of the school's information literacy curriculum, librarians start with the district's youngest learners to teach them what the Internet is, how it works and how to use it responsibly. She said they teach students how to determine if information is "accurate, reliable and useful," and also teach them what information is being sent to others while they are online.

"Helping students understand that the Internet is a truly open window to the world is our goal," Rockwood said. "It's our job to educate children on how to use this powerful tool properly."

It's just as important parents know how to safely surf the 'net as children, Berrier said.

The library department has collaborated with the Parent Advisory Council and School Resource Officer Keith Culbertson to offer Internet safety workshops to parents. One of these programs was offered at Fayetteville Elementary School last month.

"I wish more people would have turned out," Furry said. "It was a truly positive meeting, an eye-opening meeting, for those who were there."

The workshop taught parents about the net, and offered tips on keeping kids safe.

Safety tips

Communication is key to ensuring children have a safe Internet experience, parent Lisa Doyle said.

Doyle said she talks with her 11-year-old son regularly about appropriate Internet content, and encourages him to come to her if he sees something online that he's uncomfortable with.

Furry agreed it's necessary.

"Communication is the only way we're going to keep abreast of what's going on with our children," she said. "If that line of communication isn't there, then there's even more of a chance that they might access something inappropriate, or troublesome."

Furry and Berrier both encouraged parents to surf the Web, and see what's out there.

Berrier said parents should create a Myspace profile and search the site. They should know any login information a child needs to access certain Web sites, and should check the computer's Internet history.

Computers should be located in a public part of the house (never in a child's bedroom), and parents are encouraged to install a parent control filter onto their computer.

"So many parents say that if they know this stuff, or take these steps, it's an invasion of their child's privacy," Berrier said. "It's not an invasion of privacy if the information is being put out there for millions of people to read."

__________

Tracy Panzer can be reached at tpanzer@publicopinionnews.com or 262-4754.

Chambersburg Area School District's library department surveyed fourth and fifth graders in a handful of schools throughout the district about their Internet habits. Below are excerpts from the surveys.

Of 84 fifth graders in one survey:

90.4 percent said they had an Internet connection at home, and 98.8 percent said they use the Internet

Home (86.7 percent) and friend's house (42.2 percent) topped the list of places to use the Internet.

19.3 percent have a computer in their bedroom.

The majority of the students (64.6 percent) said they use the Internet most to play games where it's "me vs. the computer," while 39.2 percent said they watch videos on YouTube.

83.1 percent said they use Web sites that require a username or password. Only 56 percent said their parents know the login information.

14.5 percent of kids indicated that either they or their fifth-grade friends do things online that are unsafe or could get you/them in trouble.

Of 43 fourth graders in one survey:

87.8 percent said they use the Internet, and 78.9 percent indicated they use it to play games online with other people.

23.7 percent said they watch videos on YouTube.

29.3 percent said they chat online, while 17.5 percent said they have a profile on social networking sites.

7.5 percent said their parents don't know what they're doing online, and 10 percent said parents are only privy to some things they do on the Web.
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Me!!!!!!!! · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 293

Myspace is a good website except with the few rotten tomatoes that have given it a bad name.
I was leary about it than I got my own page nad I have found alot of old high school friends and out of the area relatives on it. YYou can make your page private (just as I did) and you can even have friend request that only know your name or email address. This is how I have mine set up and I don't get the weirdos requet for friends.

With supoervision I don't see it being a bad thing. Any other questions please ask...I am willing to give any advice on myspace. Very Happy

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2157 Location: Chambersburg

Well, I'm not a parent so I may not be well-equipped to answer this, but I do know quite a bit about the Internet and how valuable of a tool it is for today's youth in particular. Having basic, Internet literacy skills are necessary and they should also be able to use it for their basic entertainment whether this be YouTube or Myspace or anything else. I also think that kids, depending on their age and maturity levels, should be provided with a certain amount of privacy in using the Internet provided that you have talked to them and they understand that the Internet poses many risks.

Although I'd also argue that those risks are relatively low for children with informed and involved parents. You certainly seem to be one of those chel; you're way ahead of the curve here of parents who either allow their kids unencumbered access to the Internet because they don't understand it, or unreasonably worry and stress out about their kids being visited by one of those dudes on To Catch a Predator. Not wanted to invade your kids privacy is a poor excuse for simply not wanting to learn how to use a computer.

Now, just for the record, my girlfriend is a librarian so I have a pretty good understanding of what our defenders of free speech and information think when it comes to this sort of thing. I think that Susan Berriers commentary in the cited article is exceptionally well-informed and you should take her advice and warnings to heart. Having parental controls on the computer that monitor or limit Internet accessibility are invaluable for being a proactive parent in online safety. Also, it's important to keep the computer protected from kids that may not understand the simple risks that downloading poses to the computer itself; I think this is the most troublesome aspect for parents with family computers, not specifically the safety of the child but of an expensive machine.

Schools around here certainly are not doing enough to teach students how to use the Internet as a viable research tool because they're more inclined to block sites that may have educational or social value to a student's development. This is particularly important at the middle school level where the Internet is treated like an illicit drug. Wikipedia is such a great, informal resource of information that school districts around the country are blocking because of one reason or another. No, it may not be a legitimate research tool, but students should be encouraged to use the Internet any time they're confronted with something they don't know or have a question on. We live in an age where, unlike with my parents, when you ask them a question they don't know, you don't have to make up an answer or pretend it isn't important. Instead, you can sit down with them at the computer and look up the answer together and, at the same time, teach them basic but extremely important research skills.

So, knowing what your kid does on the computer is important, but it's even more important to have an open dialog with your kids about what they're accessing. So long as ground rules are established, you may be surprised just how responsible your kids can be when they are online.

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 2596 Location: Chambersburg

Thank you both for the response. Very Happy

Coppy, guess I don't need to tell you librarians are cool. I may be naive, but I think that'd be an awesome job.
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QueenofHearts · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 363

chel,

I am going to be one of those parents who will try to convince you to try to keep your youngster off the MySpace and Facebook crap as long as possible. I am not in favor of any of the Yahoo, AOL, MSN messenger, or Trillian (which accesses all three by the way).

If kids want to chat with eachother, they can do it at school, on the bus, in the playground, on the phone...(no texting!!) Socialization is so much more important than having what amounts to 300 pretend friends on their computer. No one will ever convince me that one of those are good for the "family". They inevitably create secrets and lies. It is happening to kids younger and younger as parents think that it would be cool to let their children experience the internet. (Sorry if the psychologist and former cop is coming out.)

Case in point: my second oldest son thought it was OK to let his 12 year-old daughter have a MySpace account. He had one so he could keep an eye on her. He even went so far as to post things on his account about how people are misreprestenting MySpace, saying all kids of terrible things about it. It was a "good" thing for both he and his daughter. What he didn't know was that her friends talked her into getting another account. (Remember, she already had permission to be on this site.) She raised her age to 18. Thank God nothing terrible happened, unless you count the rebuilding of trust. She will be 14 in April and still is not allowed on the MySpace...at least at home...

You, as an administrator, can also block sites that are in the "G-rated" category. Your child won't even know that the site is blocked. (Hubby is IS/IT Director)

Good luck with this, chel.

cookieclaygirl · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 1689 Location: shippensburg

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2157 Location: Chambersburg

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 2596 Location: Chambersburg

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 2596 Location: Chambersburg

I don't know about ya'll but I don't want my kid reading this article...

Boy Glued Hand to Bed to Avoid Going to School

cookieclaygirl · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 1689 Location: shippensburg

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2157 Location: Chambersburg

Why I don't have kids....

draven · Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 5

The internet is part of today's lifestyle whether it be for communication, entertainment, learning, etc. Personally I think that both Myspace and Facebook are crap because there are much more advanced and cooler social networks to join if that's what you're interested in. That's not to say they are "bad", because they do get a bad rap for newsworthy purposes sometimes.

I think blocking the adult material sites is enough, but activity should still be monitored. I would let them experiment and learn some of the new tools and fun things that are out there... they might even find something to teach you too! The web 5 and 10 years ago has changed so much... and it will continue to evolve; heck, its now a stable, reliable application platform, replacing some software we used to have to install on our computers!

My point is, there is a lot that they can learn from utilizing the web in different ways, so I don't think locking them out of everything is the right thing to do. This is all just my opinion, for what its worth.

I'll also add, I'm a former Warcraft addict. It actually all begun in 1999 when I began playing EverQuest, which lasted about 5 years. (Played Diablo and Quake/Unreal before that, as well) I got to meet several of my guild members in EQ for get-togethers and vacations and always had a blast! I am currently playing Lord of the Rings Online, Tabula Rasa, Dark Age of Camelot (still) and beta testing Warhammer Online. Oh, and I've also been consumed by Mass Effect on my 360. Smile

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 2596 Location: Chambersburg

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 2596 Location: Chambersburg