Recently, I attended a conference,
and one of the sessions I attended concerned children and the dangers
associated with the internet. Many of our children are incredibly adept
at manipulating the internet. They may visit chat rooms. They are
quite familiar with “im-ing,” (instant messaging) and the special
language that is used when our youngsters go on-line, but are not aware
of some of the dangers that are lurking out on the internet. If your
child is a frequent internet “im-er,” or chat room visitor, make sure
they can identify to you anyone with whom they are communicating.
Cyberspace, the Web, the Net,
the Information Highway—whatever it’s called, millions of people are now
going online to exchange electronic mail (E-mail) and instant messages;
participate in chat groups; post and read messages in newsgroups, which
are sometimes called bulletin boards; “surf” the world wide web; and
many other online activities. Children are no exception—in fact, they
are more likely to be online than adults.
Personal computers are
no longer the only method used for accessing the Internet. Children can
go online from personal computers at home, a friend’s house, in school,
a library, and many other locations. Many game consoles can be
connected to the Internet and used for chatting and other online
interaction. It is even possible to access the Internet on cellular
phones and other handheld devices. In other words, children don’t have
to be in the company of responsible adults to use the internet.
Of course, there are
benefits of the Information Highway. There is a vast array of services
available online. Reference information such as airline fares,
encyclopedias, movie reviews, news, sports, stock quotes, and weather
are readily available. Users can conduct transactions such as banking,
making travel reservations, shopping, and trading stocks on line. You
can find information about your local schools (www.basd.net),
government, vital health matters, or even read an out-of-town
newspaper. Millions of people communicate through E-mail with family,
friends, and colleagues around the world. Others use chat areas to make
new friends who share common interests. As an educational and
entertainment tool users can learn about virtually any topic, visit a
museum, take a college course, or play an endless number of computer
games with other users or against the computer itself.
Most people who go
online have mainly positive experiences. But, like any
endeavor—attending school, cooking, riding a bicycle, or
traveling,--there are some risks and annoyances. The online world, like
the rest of society, is made up of a wide array of people. Most are
decent and respectful, but some may be rude, obnoxious, insulting, or
even mean and exploitative. Children get a lot of benefit from being
online, but they can also be targets of crime, exploitation, and
harassment in this as in any other environment. Trusting, curious, and
anxious to explore this new world and the relationships it brings,
children need parental supervision and common-sense advice on how to be
sure that their experiences in “cyberspace” are happy, healthy, and
productive.
To make your child’s
online experience productive, I think it is very important for you as
parents/guardians to set reasonable rules and guidelines for computer
use by your children.
By taking responsibility
for your children’s online computer use, you can greatly minimize any
potential risks of being online. Make it a family rule to:
1. Never give out identifying
information—home address, school name, or telephone number—in a public
message such as chat rooms or newsgroups, and be sure you are dealing
with someone both you and your children know and trust before giving out
this information via E-mail.
2.
Get to know the Internet and
any services your child uses. If you don’t know how to log on, get your
child to show you. There is no question in my mind that they can use
the computer much better than we can. Have your child show you what he
or she does online, and become familiar with all the activities that are
available on line. Find out if your child has a free web-based E-mail
account, such as those offered by “Hotmail” or “Yahoo” and learn their
user names and passwords.
3.
I think this is common sense,
but never allow a child to arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone
they “meet” on the Internet without parental permission. If a meeting
is arranged, make the first one in a public place, and be sure to
accompany your child.
4.
Never respond to messages that
are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, threatening, or make you feel
uncomfortable. Encourage your children to tell you if they encounter
such messages. If you or your child receives a message that is
harassing, of a sexual nature, or threatening, forward a copy of the
message to your ISP (Internet Service Provider), and ask for their
assistance.
5.
Remember that people online
may not be who they seem. Because you can’t see or even hear the
person, it would be easy for someone to misrepresent himself/herself.
Thus someone indicating that “she” is a “12-year-old girl” could in
reality be a 30 year-old man.
6.
Also, remember that everything
you read online may not be true. I think the old adage that “it’s
sounds too good to be true” means it probably is. Be careful about any
offers that involve you going to a meeting, having someone visit your
house, or sending money or credit-card information.
7.
Check out blocking, filtering,
and ratings applications. Be sure to make this a family activity.
Consider keeping the computer in a family room rather than the child’s
bedroom. Get to know their “online friends” just as you get to know all
of their other friends. If your child has a cellular telephone, talk
with him or her about using it safely. The same rules that apply to
computer use, also apply to cellular telephones.
I hope the above
information will help you as a parent/guardian to make sound decisions
about computer use for your children. Using the internet can be a very
positive experience for your children, but it can also do harm.
Sincerely yours,
BELLEFONTE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT
James T. Masullo, Jr., Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
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