Our Children Online
Internet awareness & safety
ST. JOSEPH’S N.S.
PARENTS ASSOCIATION
Session #2
GOAL
Help and empower our children
to use the internet
Safely and Responsibly
5 questions:
What info &
images is my
child sharing
online?
How much time
is my child
spending
online?
What is my child
reading and
viewing online?
How is my
child behaving
online?
How can I discuss
online safety with
my child?
INFORMATION
ADVICE
QUESTIONS
RESOURCES
PRACTICE
INFORMATION
ADVICE
QUESTIONS
RESOURCES
PRACTICE
What’s happening online?
Adults
Young people
Consumers
(mostly)
Producers
& Consumers
Web 2.0
“Digital Immigrants”
“Digital Natives”
Children and entertainment media
How many hours per day do 8- to 18-yearolds spend using entertainment media?
(i.e. computer, video games, TV, movies, music, print media)
Kaiser Family Foundation study (January 2010) in USA
Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds
Children and entertainment media
How many hours per day do 8- to 18-yearolds spend using entertainment media?
(i.e. computer, video games, TV, movies, music, print media)
7.4 hours per day
Kaiser Family Foundation study (January 2010) in USA
Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds
Youth & media research
Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-year olds
 70% youth say their families have no rules about how much
time they can spend with TV, computer, games.
Youth & media research
Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-year olds
 70% youth say their families have no rules about how much
time they can spend with TV, computer, games.
 When parents set limits (any limits), children spend almost
3 hrs/day LESS consuming media.
Youth & media research
Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-year olds
 70% youth say their families have no rules about how much
time they can spend with TV, computer, games.
 When parents to set limits (any limits), children spend almost
3 hrs/day LESS consuming media.
 Tween years are critical! Media use among 11-14 yo’s jumps
dramatically compared to younger children.
Paediatricians & childcare experts advise firm rules in place
by the time children reach tween years.
Youth & media research
CMCH = Center on Media & Child Health
 All media is educational – it is what they teach and
how well they teach it that vary.
 Media itself is neutral, but very powerful.
 If children learn to critically assess media, they will
resolve conflicts themselves.
 The best tool is education!
CMCH has a blog & parents newsletter
www.cmch.tv
?
Explicit content/
pornography
Cyberpredators
?
Cyberbullying
?
INFORMATION
ADVICE
QUESTIONS
RESOURCES
PRACTICE
Filters & Parental Controls
 Filtering web sites is useful for younger children, but
less useful as children get older:



Innocent content can be blocked
Older children can bypass filters
Older children can use the internet everywhere
 Remember: “the best filter is between your ears”
Teaching our children
 Media Literacy = critical thinking about online
information & behaviour


what we read / view / download
what we write / post / upload
Teaching our children
 Media Literacy = critical thinking about online
information & behaviour


what we read / view / download
what we write / post / upload
 The 3C’s:



Cyber-security
Cyber-safety
Cyber-ethics = “digital citizenship”
http://knowwheretheygo.org/c3matrix
Teaching our children
 Media Literacy = critical thinking about online
information & behaviour


what we read / view / download
what we write / post / upload
 The 3C’s:



Cyber-security
Cyber-safety
Cyber-ethics = “digital citizenship”
http://knowwheretheygo.org/c3matrix
Keep communicating!
Social networking sites
Club Penguin
Club Penguin is a “virtual world” &
social networking site for younger
children.
They create penguin characters and
hang out with others to chat & play
games in a cartoon environment.
CP is generally a safe environment,
but there are risks: enticements to
paid membership & merchandise and
exposure to unfriendly behaviour.
Club Penguin: Advice for Parents
 Not appropriate for children under age 7
 Set Parental Controls (including time limits)
 Show your child how to use safety features, e.g.
“M” button for moderator, ignore/block buttons
 No sharing passwords!
 Opportunity to discuss privacy, i.e. what is “OK” and
“not OK” to share
 Opportunity to discuss chat etiquette (“netiquette”)
Check http://www.sharonestroff.com – “Undercover Mom”
YouTube: Advice for Parents
 If you allow your child access to YouTube, talk about videos
that are off limits (e.g. fights, pornography, pranks, etc.)
 An account is required to post videos to YouTube. Take
care when setting account, profile & privacy settings!
 Children U13 should post videos only to family & friends.
 If your child posts videos to YouTube, check with your child:

Does the video identify you?

Does the video violate anyone else’s privacy (video or tags)?

Are you prepared for comments?

Are you prepared to give up ownership of the video?
CommonSenseMedia.org
Web site reviews for parents:
Includes information on educational value, what to watch
out for (e.g. language, sex, violence), privacy issues,
parental controls, etc.
YouTube review:
www.commonsensemedia.org/website-reviews/youtube
Cub Penguin review:
www.commonsensemedia.org/website-reviews/club-penguin
INFORMATION
ADVICE
QUESTIONS
RESOURCES
PRACTICE
Resources
 www.cmch.tv
 http://knowwheretheygo.org/c3matrix
 www.commonsensemedia.org
 www.saferinternet.org
 www.watchyourspace.ie
 www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents
 www.webwise.ie
 http://cybersmartcurriculum.org
 www.spunout.ie
 www.texted.ca
 www.digitaltatoo.ubc.ca
“Be Web Aware” philosophy
LEARN
Understand what
Your kids do.
COMMUNICATE
Keep the conversations
happening.
PARTICIPATE
Use the tools
and enjoy!
www.bewebaware.ca
ACTIVITY #2
 Create a Club Penguin Child &
Parent accounts
 Practice using Parent Tools