CYBER-SAFETY Things to think about when raising a “Digital Native”

W HAT IS A DIGITAL NATIVE ? A digital native is a person for whom digital technologies already existed when they were born, and hence has grown up with digital technology such as computers, the Internet, mobile phones and MP3s. A digital immigrant is an individual who grew up without digital technology and adopted it later.

T HE R ESEARCH S AYS … ( THE G OOD ) Online Behavior: Teens have established significant presence on social networking web pages: 61% of 13- to 17- year-olds have a personal profile on a site such as MySpace, Friendster, or Xanga. Half have also posted pictures of themselves online. Older teens (16-17s) and girls especially use the Internet for social interaction, meeting friends, and networking.

T HE R ESEARCH S AYS …(T HE B AD ) However, many have also been exposed to the Internet’s accompanying potential risks. 71% reported receiving messages online from someone they don’t know. 45% have been asked for personal information by someone they don’t know. 30% have considered meeting someone that they’ve only talked to online 14% have actually met a person face-to-face they they’ve only spoken to over the Internet (9% of s; 22% of 16-17s).

T HE B OTHERSOME …. When teens receive messages online from someone they don’t know, 40% reported that they’ll usually reply and chat with that person. Only 18% said they’ll tell an adult.

W HAT C AN Y OU D O ? Start Early- If your child is using a device, you should be having regular (age appropriate) conversations about cyber-safety. You are their first teachers. Create an Honest Environment- You may not know all the answers, but be willing to learn along with your children. Talk to Your Children- Start having open and honest conversations from a young age. Be Patient- Kids learn in small chunks. Small doses of repeated information is best.

S OCIALIZING O NLINE – A WONDERFUL WAY TO CONNECT You Can’t Take It Back! Children don’t understand the permanence of their online actions. Once it’s out there… it’s out there. Careful Sharing – Only share, online, what you’re comfortable sharing in person. Words, Pictures, & Videos can have offline consequences. Be Honest NEVER Impersonate Someone Else Investigate & Use Privacy settings Review their “Friends List” Remind Kids to Keep Private Information Private. GuidelinesWhat You Can Do

C OMMUNICATING – T2U L8R…POS Manners Matter Text Only what you would be willing to say to the person’s face. Not everyone needs that message. Occasionally peruse their Contacts List House phones don’t have to ring anymore Talk to Your kids about number-sharing Talk about “safe” topics Set guidelines for who they communicate with GuidelinesWhat You Can Do

P HONES, P HONES, EVERYWHERE Share Photos Carefully Send it out only if your comfortable with the world seeing it Don’t share your number with just anyone Ignore calls & messages from people you don’t know Be aware of who has your child’s phone number Set parameters for when the phone will be turned off Dinner Time Bed Time Set the Example Disconnect & spend some quality time with your family GuidelinesWhat You Can Do

C YBER -B ULLYING Bullying is no longer about the strong picking on the weak in the schoolyard. The physical assault has been replaced by a 24 hour per day, seven days a week online bashing. Savvy students are using Instant Messaging, e- mails, chat rooms and websites they create to humiliate a peer. No longer can parents count on seeing the tell-tale physical signs of bullying—a black eye, bloody lip, torn clothes. But the damage done by cyber bullies is no less real, and can be infinitely more painful.

C YBER -B ULLYING S TATISTICS Cyber Bullying Statistics 42% of kids have been bullied while online. 1 in 4 have had it happen more than once. 35% of kids have been threatened online. Nearly 1 in 5 have had it happen more than once. 21% of kids have received mean or threatening e- mail or other messages. 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than 4 out of 10 say it has happened more than once. 53% of kids admit having said something mean or hurtful to another person online. More than 1 in 3 have done it more than once. 58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online. Based on 2004 i-SAFE survey of 1,500 students grades 4-8

W HAT Y OU C AN D O If your child has complained of being bullied online OR if you suspect it… Stay calm Reassure your child they are safe If it is a peer, school or class mate, make the school aware of the incident Block or de-friend the Bully Follow-up with appropriate school and/or police officials

T HE R EALITY Technology is a vital part of the world we live in. Children NEED these tools to grow up to be successful contributing adults. We are their guides. We cannot be afraid to learn along with them. They NEED us to be open, patient, loving, examples of how to live a technologically rich AND safe life. No one person has all the answers, but together we can find them.

R ESOURCES Net Cetera – OnGuard Online Net Smartz.org Isafe.org