April 22, 2015

Technology: Diving into the Darkside

Every day children use the computer for a number of different uses. Sadly some
children use the web for awful reasons. But there is always a good side to using
technology. There are several ways that parents and teachers can educate children about
the cautions of using technology and how to properly use the Internet.
The first step into educating students/children is to get involved! There are several
ways we can get on the same page as children:
o Become computer literate
o If the family has a computer, put it in a common area in the house
o Bookmark family favorites
o Spend time online together
o Teach children about privacy settings.
This means teaching children about keep personal info personal
o Use the WWGS rule: What Would Gramma Say?
If you wouldnt say it face-to-face or dont have anything nice to say,
dont say it at all
o Control the online environment
(Dowshen et.al 2015).
In 2014 more than 1 million children were harassed on Facebook and other social
medias (Internet Safety 2015). It is becoming more of a trend for children to use
technology for reasons other than educational use. Young children and teens are

communicating more through the Internet and their phones, rather than face to face. If we
can teach children how to properly use the Internet and set boundaries, then there should
be a smaller chance of them running into tech-trouble. Internet Safety 101 is a site that
offers statistics about cyber bullying as well as ways to stand up to it.
o 90% of teens have used some sort of social media in the last year
o 75% of young children and teens have some type of social profile (Facebook,
Twitter, Blog, Kik, Skype, etc)
o 17% of teens admitted that theyve been contacted by someone they didnt know
o 39% of teens lied about their age and other personal information
o 95% of teens have witnessed a cruel behavior and ignored it and 21% say that
they have joined in on the harassment
o 33% of teens are a victim of cyber bullying
(Internet Safety 2015)
Although there are a lot of dangers on the Internet, there are also several tools that
can be of assistance. There are programs that help protect childrens privacy online. The
Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) was created to help protect kids
online. This act came into law on April 21, 2000. The site is used only for the purpose of
protecting such safety of children under the age of 13. If a child is ever is a situation
where their privacy is violated by someone else, that person has no right to re-contact that
child for any other reason or purpose (COPPA 2000). COPPA also works with states to
protect its children against harm. If at any time the Attorney General has reason to
believe that theres a case of violation he/she has the right to: enjoin in COPPAs
practices, enforce compliance, compensation on behalf of the state, investigations and
relief that the court considers appropriate (COPPA 2000).

There is always a good and bad side to everything. When educating children about
internet safety we should teach them about the pros and cons of using technology.

Pros
o Helps us to stay connected with
friends and family
o Enhances a childs creativity in
several ways
o Valuable tool when doing research
o Can chose what sites they use
o Technology is a great tool to use in the
classroom environment
Its a great tool for children with
Special Needs too

Cons
o Can be a platform for cyber bullying
and other questionable activities
o Kids can easily share more than they
should
o Kids can spend too much time on
social media
o Nothing is ever completely deleted
o Nothing is ever truly private
o Kids may share their account
information with their friends
o Predators lurk on social media and
online chat rooms

In order for us to convey safety while using the Internet, we must also model for
children how we stay safe. By modeling what we have learned, children will pick up on
what they have been taught and hopefully apply that when they use technology.

Works Cited

"COPPA - Children's Online Privacy Protection." COPPA - Children's Online Privacy

Protection. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.

"Cyberbullying Statistics." InternetSafety101.org: Statistics. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.

<http://www.internetsafety101.org/cyberbullyingstatistics.htm>.

Dowshen, Steven. "Internet Safety." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about
Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, 2015. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.
<http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/net_safety.html#>.

Hirsch, Larissa. "Teaching Kids to Be Smart About Social Media." KidsHealth - the
Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, 1
Aug. 2014. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.

"Internet Safety Tips for Children and Teens." Internet Safety Tips for Children and
Teens. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.nypl.org/help/about-nypl/legal-notices/internet-safety-tips>.

"The Importance of Internet Safety." Edutopia. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.

<http://www.edutopia.org/blog/internet-safety-importance-heather-wolpert-gawr
on>.

"Truecare." Internet Safety for Kids, Teens, Why Is Internet Safety Important. Web. 22
Apr. 2015. <https://www.truecare.com/for-kids>.

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