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The Online Lives of our
Digital Natives
How can we ensure the safety of our
children on the Internet?
Presentation at Sidwell Friends School
March 6, 2007
Jenni Swanson Voorhees
Charmaine Thompson
Julianne Himelstein
Welcome to the New World
As soon as we think we understand
what our children are experiencing
online, things change.
We must constantly keep abreast of the
latest developments to stay aware of
our own children’s daily experiences
and dangers.
They ARE Different
Adapted from Marc Prensky –Digital Game-Based Learning and “Defining Success in an Information Age” by
Jonathon P. Costa, Sr.
Digital Immigrants
Digital Natives
Digital Interpreters
Digital fluency
Mostly text - linear
Mostly media – non-linear
Paper based – top-to-bottom
Screen based – snatches and
fragments
Information stream
Information flood
One task at a time
Multi-tasking
Fonts
Graphics
Logical order
Random access
One conversation
Networked
Reward in the end
Instant gratification
Serious work
Games and engagement
Deliberation
Twitch speed
Legacy content
Future content
8 FACT: Between 2000 and 2002,
children increased their access to the Internet,
regardless of income or age,
with the greatest growth happening in the home.
70
60
50
40
2000
2002
30
% of Total
20
10
0
All
Home
School
Library
Source: Grunwald Associates as quoted by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Report on Children’s Internet Use
To keep kids safe, parents need to
understand & teach these topics at home.
o Cyber Community
Citizenship
o Cyber Security
o Personal Safety
o Plagiarism & Theft of
Intellectual Property
o Predator Identification
& the Grooming
Process
Parent and Students
Perspectives Differ
8
FACT: 14% of students polled stated that their parents have no
idea where they go or what they do on the Internet.
Parents
vs.
Students
• 87% stated that they had established
rules for their child’s Internet use.
• Only 64% stated that they have
established rules for their Internet use.
• 69% feel they have a good idea of
what their child does while online.
• Only 59% said they share what they do
on the Internet with their parents.
• 54% feel limited in monitoring &
sheltering their child from inappropriate
material on the Internet.
• 22% say the computer they use
most often is in their room
Source: i-SAFE Student/Parent Assessments 2003-’05
“I do not share what I do and where I go
on the Internet with my parents.”
60
50
40
% of Total 30
Students
20
10
0
5th
6th
7th
8th
Frosh Soph Junior Senior
Source: i-SAFE Student/Parent Assessments 2003-’04
How do we bridge the
“Parent-Child Digital Divide”?
Using the Internet before knowing
how to be safe is needlessly risky.
Would you let your children drive
before they knew the rules of the road?
Average ages targeted for online
sexual solicitation
25
20
15
% of Total
Students
10
5
0
10yrs 11yrs 12yrs 13yrs 14yrs 15yrs 16yrs 17yrs
Source: Crimes Against Children Research Center – Online Victimization: A Report on the Nation’s Youth
“I have met a new person
from the Internet ‘face to face’”
20
18
16
14
12
% of Total 10
8
6
4
2
0
Girls
Boys
5th
6th
7th
8th
Frosh
Soph
Junior Senior
Source: i-SAFE Student/Parent Assessments 2003-’04
Prosecution of Predators
o Undercover policemen described how
they masquerade as young teens to
attract online predators in chat
rooms.
o The following slide shows a chat
between the undercover cop
(Kalishopper2) and a 48-year old
Navy doctor.
“I go into a chat room…”
50
45
40
35
30
% of Total 25
20
15
10
5
0
Girls
Boys
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
Frosh Soph JuniorSenior
Source: i-SAFE Student/Parent Assessments 2003-’04
Instant Messaging - “IM-ing”
• Many teen chat rooms
encourage “IM-ing” to meet
“new” friends.
• Some websites provide
private IM addresses to those
who register, post a photo, and
request a personalized IM
address.
• Some websites have
specialized search functions
allowing any visitor to choose
who to IM by gender, age,
interest, geography, etc.
IM allows private, silent
communication anytime
• Instant messages – “IMs” - can be sent
and received almost anywhere anytime using
a computer or cell phone
•IM addresses are located and used by
strangers if posted on the Internet.
•IMs are more difficult to trace and retrieve
allowing two people to communicate
privately/secretly.
Examples of “Chat Language”
ASLP
Age, Sex, Location, Picture?
TMI
Too Much Information
F2F
Face To Face
WYP
What's Your Problem?
POS
Parents Over Shoulder
GYPO
Get Your Pants Off
W8AM
Wait A Minute
SNERT Snot-Nosed Egotistical Rude Teenager
Blogs, Wikis, Social Networking
Sites
Blogs have proved to be useful on many
levels, but can also be a place to post
too much information.
Wikis provide interactive, cooperative
opportunities.
The most recent means of meeting and
grooming children online has been
through Social Networking sites.
Blogs
o Blogs are another name for Web Logs or
Journals. Web Logs are maintained in
chronological order by date of post. People
who read the blog are usually welcome to
post replies, their thoughts, etc. This
makes most blogs interactive.
o Blogging makes the writer feel like
they are writing confidentially because
they are behind a screen. However,
the reality is that anyone online can
read the blog. This can be dangerous.
Wikis
o Wiki is unusual among group
communication mechanisms in that it
allows the organization of contributions to
be edited in addition to the content itself.
o Like many simple concepts, "open editing"
has some profound and subtle effects on
Wiki usage. Allowing everyday users to
create and edit any page in a Web site is
exciting in that it encourages democratic
use of the Web and promotes content
composition by nontechnical users.
Social Networking
o Myspace, Facebook, LiveJournal are
social networking sites that provide a
means for kids age 14 and older to
post information about themselves
and search for those who share
interests.
o These sites, unfortunately, offer
predators too much opportunity.
o However, they are here. We need to
work with our children to stay safe
and be wise.
www.wiredsafety.org
o Parry Aftab, an Internet privacy and
security lawyer, is WiredSafety's
Executive Director.
o She has an agreement with MySpace
to provide security and a system for
taking down pages that are unsafe.
o They are also responsible for the
safety tips on www.myspace.com
Safety Reminders on MySpace
o
o
o
o
Please read these safety tips before posting any photos or
personal info.
MySpace is a public space. Don't post anything you
wouldn't want the world to know (e.g. your phone
number, address, instant messenger screen name, or
specific whereabouts). Don’t post any nudity, violent,
or offensive material, or copyrighted images. If you
violate these terms, your account will be deleted. [
photo policy ]
People aren’t always say who they are. Exercise
caution when communicating with strangers and
avoid meeting people in person whom you do not
fully know. If you must meet someone, do it in a
public place and bring a friend or trusted adult.
Harassment, hate speech, and inappropriate content
should be reported. If you feel someone’s behavior is
inappropriate, react. Talk with a trusted adult, or
report it to MySpace or the authorities.
“I have posted my photo
on the Internet”
60
50
40
Girls
Boys
% of Total 30
20
10
0
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
Frosh Soph Junior Senior
Source: i-SAFE Student/Parent Assessments 2003-’04
New Media to Consider
o YouTube, Google Video, and other
sites – the opportunity to post
homemade video – with or without
permission
o Cell Phones
n Connected to the Internet
n Text messaging continues the online
conversations away from the computer
n Harder to keep an eye on
What Employers and Colleges
Say…
Experts to students: Watch what you post online
Information on sites such as MySpace.com could come back to
haunt users (eSchool News March 1, 2006)
Many employers hire companies to conduct background checks,
but "Googling" job applicants serves as an additional hiring toolCharles Fleischer, an employment lawyer and author of The
Complete Hiring and Firing Handbook.
David Hawkins, director of public policy for the National
Association for College Admissions Counseling commented on
the use of MySpace by college admissions people. Hawkins said,
“…the potential for a student to trip himself up [during the
admissions process] is certainly greater than it was even 10
years ago."
Student charged for death threat
By Tony Lystra Gazette-Times reporter
o
o
o
The senior says he sees the teacher as a friend, post was just ‘something to do’
Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 17-year-old Alsea high school student this week
after he posted a message on the Internet saying he planned to kill his math
teacher, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office said.
The student, a senior at Alsea High School, posted an animated counter on the
social networking site MySpace.com. Beneath the graphic, which counts down
days, hours and minutes, are the words, “Until I kill Mr. …” The math teacher’s
name is included at the end of the sentence.
A sheriff’s office report said the teacher feared for his life after learning of the
posting.
Deputies arrested the boy Monday in the school’s parking lot. He was taken to
the Linn-Benton juvenile facility, then released.
Benton County District Attorney Scott Heiser said his office planned to file
disorderly conduct charges against the boy Thursday evening.
The student, whose name was not released, has been unofficially suspended
pending a psychological evaluation, said Jason Larson, the school’s principal.
Larson said he learned of the threat after an anonymous tipster printed the Web
page and left a copy in his office mailbox.
Since, Larson said, school officials have asked MySpace administrators to
remove the posting. As of Thursday evening it was still accessible on the Web.
Boys' MySpace.com Prank Results in
Arrest
o
Mar 07 6:55 AM US/Eastern--FONTANA, Calif.
A group of boys who posed as a 15-year-old girl for an Internet prank
ended up helping police arrest a 48-year-old man who tried to meet
the fictitious teenager for sex, authorities said.
The five boys had created a fake profile of a girl on MySpace.com _ a
social networking Web site _ to cheer up a friend who had recently
broken up with his girlfriend.
But soon, a man began sending messages to the "girl" and their
conversations began to have sexual overtones, said Fontana police
Sgt. William Megenney.
The man also sent the "girl" his picture and arranged to meet her at a
public park. The boys went to the park and, when the man arrived,
they called police.
Michael Ramos, 48, of Fontana, was booked into West Valley Detention
Center on Monday for investigation of felony attempted lewd and
lascivious conduct with a child and for an outstanding warrant,
Megenney said.
Two men were arrested last week in what prosecutors said were the first
federal sexual assault charges involving MySpace. The unrelated
cases involved Connecticut girls who were 11 and 14, the FBI said.
Justin Berry – Child Pornography
o A New York Times expose is causing a disruption in
the business of child pornography carried on the
Internet through Web cams.
o The Times story profiled 19-year-old Justin Berry.
He described a lucrative business he started when
he was 13 -- disrobing and later, performing sex
acts on camera for paying customers -- some of
whom he met; and some of whom assaulted him.
o At the urging of The New York Times, Berry gave
information to federal prosecutors about the
teenage Web cam industry and the adults who
support it. In exchange, he was given immunity
from prosecution. (from NPR website)
www.archive.org
o Have you visited the WAYBACK
Machine?
o On Archive.org you can type in a URL
and choose a date and see just what
was posted on that site back in time.
o That means nothing really goes
away…There is a record that can be
viewed!
The single most important
concept to teach our
children is that the Internet
is NOT a private space. It is
quite the opposite!
How Can a Parent Protect their
Child on the Internet?
o The most effective way to accomplish
this is for the PARENT to become
integrally involved in their child’s online activities.
o Does your child understand what
should and should NOT be done on
the Internet?
o Open these lines of communication
early!
Possible Methods
o Direct: Limit time on the computer.
o Monitoring software: Set up software
that limits sites that are available.
o Indirect: Agree on rules and keep
checking in that rules are being
followed.
o For Everyone: Locate computers in
public spaces in the house. No
private screens.
Knowledge is Key
o The best form of prevention is
information.
n Visit sites together to read safety
information and learn about the site.
n Discuss articles in the paper that relate
to behavior on the Internet.
o Let your child share his or her
opinions.
o Integrity is also key. Our online
behavior reflects who we are.
Who do you want to be?
i-Parent Tips 2 Use @ Home
ü Have fun being part of your child’s online experience.
ü Respect your child’s privacy but make certain they know
personally everyone on their “buddy” list.
No Strangers Allowed!
ü Keep the computer where everyone sees the screen.
No Hidden Screens!
ü Keep personal information private.
No Personal Posting!
ü Report strangers who solicit meetings with any child.
ü Teach your child how to recognize & avoid predators.
ü Keep informed about trends and events.