1. SURF SAFELY Helping our children to be safe while surfing the Internet
Prepared by Pastor Damian Chambers,
Director, Communication, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, CJC

2. Introduction
Gone are the days when, in order to keep their children safe, all parents needed to do was to keep their children “off the road.”
The invention of the Internet has widened the field of parenting and pose new dangers to our children.
The Internet might be a virtual world, but the dangers it presents are real.

3. Introduction
All the dangers that can be found in the world has its online counterpart.
How parents would allow their children to wander freely in the streets at night? Yet we allow them to wander freely on the internet?

4. What is the Internet?
The Internet is simply the largest computer network in the world. It links several billion devices (computers, smart phones, tablets, television, cars, etc) worldwide.
Wikipedia: It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope, linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies.

5. History of the Internet
The internet traces its origins to the ARPAnet, created by the US Defence Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency in the 1960s.
At the end of 1969, there were only four computers on ARPAnet, and they were all at US universities. This grew to 5,000 internet hosts in 1986, after which the number of users grew rapidly into the millions and then hundreds of millions.
Source:

6. Penetration (% Population)
Internet Usage today
Source: Date: Dec. 31, 2014
World Regions
Population ( 2014 Est.)
Internet Users Dec. 31, 2000
Internet Users TODAY
Penetration (% Population)
Growth
Users % of Table
Africa
1,125,721,038
4,514,400
297,885,898
26.5 %
6,498.6 %
9.8 %
Asia
3,996,408,007
114,304,000
1,386,188,112
34.7 %
1,112.7 %
45.7 %
Europe
825,824,883
105,096,093
582,441,059
70.5 %
454.2 %
19.2 %
Middle East
231,588,580
3,284,800
111,809,510
48.3 %
3,303.8 %
3.7 %
North America
353,860,227
108,096,800
310,322,257
87.7 %
187.1 %
10.2 %
Latin America/ Caribbean
612,279,181
18,068,919
320,312,562
52.3 %
1,672.7 %
10.5 %
Oceana/ Australia
36,724,649
7,620,480
26,789,942
72.9 %
251.6 %
0.9 %
WORLD TOTAL
7,182,406,565
360,985,492
3,035,749,340
42.3 %
741.0 %
100.0 %

7. Positive Use of the Internet
Communication
, Social Media, Websites, Online Conference Calls
Shopping/Selling
Education (Formal and Non-formal)
Evangelism (Live-stream church services, Bible Study, etc)
Up-to-date and Global News and Information
Entertainment (Music and Videos)

8. Dangers of the Internet
Pornography – easy access to explicit sexual content
Online Gambling
Sexual Predators – predators usually conceal their identify
Sexting – sharing nude photos among peers
Lost of Privacy – social media open the door for “broadcasting yourself”. Youth are often naïve to what is appropriate to share
Occult and Extremist Groups – e.g. Charlie Charlie game, ISIS
Damaged reputation – Once content is shared, you lose control over it. Employers usually check social media accounts before employing candidates for a new job
Sexual Predators usually attempt to win the child’s confidence, then arrange to meet with minor.

9. Age-based guidelines for kids' Internet use
Up to age 10
Source:

10. Age-based guidelines for kids' Internet use (< 10 yrs)
It's never too early to foster open and positive communication with children. It's a good idea to talk with them about computers and to stay open to their questions and curiosity.
Always sit with your kids at this age when they're online.
Set clear rules for Internet use.
Insist that your children not share personal information such as their real name, address, phone number, or passwords with people they meet online.
Source:

11. Age-based guidelines for kids' Internet use (< 10 yrs)
Most social media sites do not allow children this age to create profile. Do not allow or help your child to bypass this rule.
If a site encourages kids to submit their names to personalize the web content, help your kids create online nicknames that don't give away personal information.
Use family safety tools to create appropriate profiles for each family member and to help filter the Internet.
Source:

12. Age-based guidelines for kids' Internet use
Up to age
Source:

13. Age-based guidelines for kids' Internet use (11-14yrs)
Set clear rules for Internet use.
Set family safety tools on the medium security setting, which should have some limitations on content, websites, and activities.
Keep Internet-connected computers in an open area where you can easily supervise your kids' activities. Internet connected computer should not be placed inside their bedrooms
Source:

14. Age-based guidelines for kids' Internet use (11-14yrs)
Help protect your children from offensive pop-up windows by using the pop-up blocker that's built in to most web browsers
Encourage your children to tell you if something or someone online makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened. Stay calm and remind your kids they are not in trouble for bringing something to your attention. Praise their behavior and encourage them to come to you again if the same thing happens.

15. Age-based guidelines for kids' Internet use
Up to age
Source:

16. Age-based guidelines for kids' Internet use (15 – 18yrs)
Continue to keep family communication as open and positive about computers as you can. Keep talking about online lives, friends, and activities, just as you would about other friends and activities.
Encourage your teens to tell you if something or someone online makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened. If you're a teen and something or someone online doesn't seem quite right, then speak up.
Create a list of Internet house rules as a family. Include the kinds of sites that are off limits, Internet hours, what information should not be shared online, and guidelines for communicating with others online, including social networking.
Keep Internet-connected computers in an open area and not in a teen's bedroom.
Source:

17. Age-based guidelines for kids' Internet use (15 – 18yrs)
Know which websites your teens visit, and whom they talk to. Encourage them to use monitored chat rooms, and insist they stay in public chat room area.
Insist that they never agree to meet an online friend.
Teach your kids not to download programs, music, or files without your permission. File-sharing and taking text, images, or artwork from the web may infringe on copyright laws and can be illegal.
Talk to your teenagers about online adult content and pornography.
Source:

18. Age-based guidelines for kids' Internet use (15 – 18yrs)
Be aware of the websites that your teens frequent. Make sure your kids are not visiting sites with offensive content, or posting personal information. Be aware of the photos that teens post of themselves and their friends.
Make sure your teens check with you before making financial transactions online, including ordering, buying, or selling items.
Discuss online gambling and its potential risks with your teens. Remind them that it is illegal for them to gamble online.
Source:

19. Conclusion
Children are to be protected from dangers online equal to dangers in real world.
Dangers online are just as real
We may not be Computer savvy, but we do have a responsibility to parent our children on or offline.

20. End