The Possibilities & Pitfalls of the Internet: Presented by the Fowler Unified School District and the Fowler Branch Library.

The Possibilities & The Possibilities & Pitfalls of the Pitfalls of the

Internet:Internet:

Presented by the Fowler Unified School District Presented by the Fowler Unified School District

and the Fowler Branch Libraryand the Fowler Branch Library

How much do you How much do you know?know?

What’s Out There?What’s Out There?

Judy O’Connell, Catholic Education Center, “MySpace or Yours: Possibilities and Pitfalls Online”: http://www.slideshare.net/heyjudeonline/myspace-or-yours-possibilities-and-pitfalls


Internet UsageInternet Usage

Children between 8-18 use the Children between 8-18 use the computer for more than an hour a daycomputer for more than an hour a day

74% have a computer with Internet 74% have a computer with Internet access*access*

31% have high speed access (that 31% have high speed access (that number grows each year)*number grows each year)*

*The George Lucas Foundation, “Synching Up With The iKid,” Edutopia, October 2005.

“A Quick Online Safety Guide”: http://www.slideshare.net/mrichme/a-quick-online-safety-presentation




How Students Perceive the How Students Perceive the InternetInternet

19% of teens feel safer online than in the 19% of teens feel safer online than in the real world*real world*

39% of students trust people that they 39% of students trust people that they chat with online*chat with online*

24% of students say they see nothing 24% of students say they see nothing wrong with chatting with a stranger*wrong with chatting with a stranger*

10% of students have been asked to keep 10% of students have been asked to keep their Internet relationships a secret *their Internet relationships a secret *

iSAFE America Student Assessment, 2004

“A Quick Online Safety Guide”: http://www.slideshare.net/mrichme/a-quick-online-safety-presentation


Strangers and TeensStrangers and Teens

“When Strangers Contact Teens Online: Most Such Experiences Are Neither Scary Nor Uncomfortable, but Certain Traits or Activities Can Invite More Interactions with Unknown Persons,” PewResearch Center

Publications, October 15, 2007: http://pewresearch.org/pubs/613/strangers-contact-teens-online

Are Social Networking Are Social Networking Sites Worse Than Other Online Sites Worse Than Other Online

Sites?Sites? Research shows that social networking sites Research shows that social networking sites

are notare not more likely to invite scary or more likely to invite scary or uncomfortable contacts than are other uncomfortable contacts than are other online activities. online activities.

Among teens who have been contacted by a Among teens who have been contacted by a stranger online…stranger online…– 21% of profile-owning teens say they felt scared 21% of profile-owning teens say they felt scared

or uncomfortable as a result of this contactor uncomfortable as a result of this contact– Compared with 28% of non-profile ownersCompared with 28% of non-profile owners

“When Strangers Contact Teens Online: Most Such Experiences Are Neither Scary Nor Uncomfortable, but Certain Traits or Activities Can Invite More Interactions with Unknown

Persons,” PewResearch Center Publications, October 15, 2007: http://pewresearch.org/pubs/613/strangers-contact-teens-online

Online PicturesOnline Pictures

“…“…[T] hose who have posted photos [T] hose who have posted photos of themselves online are more likely of themselves online are more likely than others to be contacted online by than others to be contacted online by strangers.”strangers.”

New Research Has Shown…New Research Has Shown… “…“…the specifics of a person's social the specifics of a person's social

networking profile have little networking profile have little influence on the likelihood of being influence on the likelihood of being contacted by an unknown person.”contacted by an unknown person.”



Be Careful What you Post

!!

Gender and ContactGender and Contact

“…“…[G]irls (27%) are significantly [G]irls (27%) are significantly more likely to report feeling scared more likely to report feeling scared or uncomfortable as a result of the or uncomfortable as a result of the contact compared with boys (15%).” contact compared with boys (15%).”

HOWEVERHOWEVER ““Girls are more likely than boys to Girls are more likely than boys to

report online contact that made report online contact that made them scared or uncomfortable.”them scared or uncomfortable.”



Behavior and ContactBehavior and Contact

““Teens who use social networking Teens who use social networking sites sites to flirtto flirt are more likely to be are more likely to be contacted by people they do not contacted by people they do not know….”know….”

InterestinglyInterestingly “…“…[A] similar effect is not seen in [A] similar effect is not seen in

teens who use social networking teens who use social networking sites to make new friends.” sites to make new friends.”



What Does This Mean for What Does This Mean for Parents?Parents?

Internet Monitoring Software is better Internet Monitoring Software is better than filtering.than filtering.

Could be features or…Could be features or…

““The fact that The fact that parents who use parents who use monitoring software may be monitoring software may be relatively more likely to take an relatively more likely to take an active role in observing their child's active role in observing their child's internet usage habitsinternet usage habits than parents than parents who rely on filtering software.”who rely on filtering software.”

When Strangers Contact Teens OnlineMost Such Experiences Are Neither Scary Nor Uncomfortable, but Certain Traits or Activities Can Invite More Interactions with Unknown PersonsOctober 15, 2007

Best Way to Protect ThemBest Way to Protect Them

Involve yourself in their “online”’ lifeInvolve yourself in their “online”’ life Familiarize yourself with what they’re usingFamiliarize yourself with what they’re using Install safety softwareInstall safety software Use family-friendly search enginesUse family-friendly search engines Discuss appropriate online behaviorDiscuss appropriate online behavior

– Set up house rules or create an Internet safety contractSet up house rules or create an Internet safety contract Let them know you are there for them if they run Let them know you are there for them if they run

into something that makes them feel scared or into something that makes them feel scared or uncomfortableuncomfortable

Most importantly, keep communication lines open Most importantly, keep communication lines open (58% of students have not told an adult when (58% of students have not told an adult when they’ve been bullied online)they’ve been bullied online)

Courtesy of “A Quick Online Safety Guide: http://www.slideshare.net/mrichme/a-quick-online-safety-presentation

Parenting Moves Online: Parents' Internet Actions and Attitudes, 2007

Cable in the classroom: www.ciconline.org

Parenting Moves Online: Parents' Internet Actions and Attitudes, 2007

Cable in the classroom: www.ciconline.org

Any Safety, ethical, or media literacy topicNot sharing too much personal info onlineHow to avoid dangerous people onlineWhat to do if in an uncomfortable placeBeing respectful online

How to determine credibility of info onlineHow to evaluate possible bias online

How to sort & manage online info

How to legally download and share files

What can parents do?What can parents do?

http://www1.k9webprotection.com/

For More InformationFor More Information

www.fowlerusd.orgwww.fowlerusd.org

http://csla2008.pbwiki.com/Parent-http://csla2008.pbwiki.com/Parent-EducationEducation

The Possibilities & Pitfalls of the Internet: Presented by the Fowler Unified School District and the Fowler Branch Library.

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