Post: Keeping Kids Internet Safe and Smart:
Common Sense Launches Internet Safety Site
Keeping Kids Internet Safe and Smart:
Common Sense Launches Internet Safety Site
When it comes to the Internet, parents feel deeply conflicted.
This is the conclusion that jumped out at us from a new national study we just conducted here at Common Sense Media about parents’ attitudes toward their kids’ online lives (see poll results below). While the results reflect the heart of the dilemma facing parents all across the country, we were astonished by how deeply polarized they felt. To parents, the Internet is a double-edged sword: On the one hand, parents feel that the Internet offers their kids the greatest opportunity to learn and grow. Yet, it also poses the greatest risk -- far outpacing television.
What parents weren't concerned about was whose responsibility it was to keep kids safe. The poll confirms that parents understand that the burden of keeping kids safe and smart has shifted to them. That's a tough task to take on -- especially when two-thirds of parents felt they had less influence over their kids’ online behavior than their kids' friends.
These results remind me of the deep ambivalence that parents feel when they first hand the car keys over to their kids. They want their kids to be independent. But they also know that driving can be dangerous, and it’s easy to take a wrong turn and end up in undesirable locations. But just as we teach our kids the fundamentals of safe driving, parents know that it’s up to us to teach kids the fundamentals of safe Internet use.
To help parents do that, we've launched the Internet Safe and Smart campaign. In addition to running public service ads on television and online, we've created a special Web site, www.commonsense.com and published tools such as our survival guide for parents.
These free resources provide information and tips to help you help your kids have safe and productive online lives.
At Common Sense, we are dedicated to improving the media lives of kids and families. The Internet is here to stay. And we are here to help your kids make the most of it. We urge everyone to spend a moment looking on our site and in the guide. After all, keeping our kids Internet Safe and Smart is up to us.
There are 5 replies to this post
Date: June 8, 2006
This is exactly how I feel about the Net! And this is a great resource. Thanks!
Date: June 8, 2006
yeah, I'm so lost when it comes to my kdis. And they're not even driving yet! is it just me or does it get harder every generaetion to raise your kids right?
Date: June 8, 2006
I think it is harder. i really don't think my mom had even close to as many issues to deal with. Like MySpace!
Date: June 18, 2006
I am glad that I found your site in a newspaper article over the weekend about June being National Internet Safety Month.
This week we had someone we don't know IM my minor daughter with messages that concern me as a parent greatly. We have taught our children that they are never to give their IM name etc out to anyone!!!!!!!!. My daughter IMs her friends from back home(we moved)as well as her friends here. Those are the only ppl she IMs. She called me at work the other day frantic that someone was IMing her to death we messages such as and I quote" your glory will be waiting for you when we get together", I can't wait to get my arms around you" etc. Her profile is no where to be found but his is. He loves to take "Shoots" as I am assuming its photography perhaps pornography of young girls. He likes to travel and he collects and works with the media.
I have asked Yahoo for help for the past 5 days and they have never responded to any of my many emails regarding this person. We have changed our daughter's name but under advice from someone else that told me to let him continue to im her (change the password) so that the more he does the bigger the case when we go to the authorities.
I have written my Attorney General who by the way has responded and they will be contacting me this week to discuss the situation.
Yes I could just let this go but how would I feel if this jerk stalked another young girl and that girl responded and finding out from the media that this is the guy that killed her.
So I am asking for help does anyone know of what else besides going to the media I as a parent can do?
Date: June 19, 2006
Wow. Um. I know that Common Sense Media has some toolkits and guides that might help. They're listed under Resources, if you click at the top. Besides that, I think you're doing the right thing by talking to the authorities. The main thing to worry about is protecting your child, not so much "getting" this one guy because there are millions more like him. Also, it sounds like your daughter has a good head on her shoulders, because she called you immediately when she realized something bad was happening.