The Internet is a living thing, which is changing daily. More and more we are seeing users, and young people in particular, driving the Internet forward, in terms of content and what you can do online.
To youth, social media and technologies are not something extra added on to their lives; they’re embedded in their lives. Their offline and online lives have converged into one life. They are socializing in various environments, using various digital and real-life “tools,” from face-to-face gatherings to cell phones to social network sites, to name just a few.
Youth Safety on a living Internet:
Report of the Online Safety and Technology Working group
The above quote is taken from the US online Safety and Technology Working group, who produced a 148 page report looking into Internet Safety. The report was published on June 4 2010 and makes much use of the wording ‘responsible use’ when referring to child Internet safety. Amongst other things the report includes 106 Internet based resources on the subject of Internet Safety and Responsible Use. We are busy looking through these resources and will be asking practitioners to review the best ones to share with the learning community in Scotland.
We have always taught our children to be safe. I can still remember being taught the Green Cross Code when I was at school. The issues we are addressing here are no different. The sole purpose of resources and conversations like this is to keep our children safe. As educators, parents, carers, grandparents and adults we have a responsibility to keep children safe, whether they are offline or online. We know what way the traffic flows, but do we know how Facebook privacy settings work, how to record MSN chat by default, how to set up parental controls on the Nintendo Wii, that the DSi has Internet access or what POS means? Before we can begin to help our children we must educate ourselves. We are willing to teach ourselves, provide information and resources, engage in conversations and ask for help. Who is willing to join us?
You can contribute in a number of ways, via the new Glow group, commenting on this blog or adding a resource to the new resources blog.
PS – I only learned POS (parent of shoulder) last week!
Yes Alan – this is very much worth doing. And not only for parents but also for grandparents who often have responsibility for their grandchildren after school! Recent experience in home of friends revealed that they had no idea that their laptop was being used by their grandson for purposes he would not have been allowed at home!
There are lots of age-related internet safety resources around – primary, secondary, teens, parents/guardians. Now how about the over-60s?
Couldnt agree more with this. I had a real eye opener doing my degree project. As a group we created a prototype guide dvd – Internet Safety a parents guide. The BBCs panorama One click from Danger program is a real must for parents. As for POS yes again there is a whole load of these out there and some sites contain lists of the abbreviations used (be warned though some are explicit as we found out)
Heres a couple for you KPC, P911, LMIRL.
I was surprised by the number of children who do have accounts on social networking sites and the amount of informatino they actually leave on it. Even recently in a class of 8 year olds, I asked what they used computers for and the first answer I got was Bebo. I gave up trying to make other parents aware of the dangers in my kids school as they seem to think that as long as their kids profile is private its ok, doesnt matter that their pcs in the bedroom or that they r on msn to who knows.
KPC – keeping parents clueless
P911 – parent in room
LMIRL – lets meet in real life
Thanks Walter, and you are absolutely right – I read a study recently that said grandparents had more influence on a young person due to time spent with them (and I have updated my list above!)
Thanks Amanda – would be great to be able to share your Parents Guide DVD on the resources blog! I thought I was cool knowing lol and pmsl – these are all new to me! 😉
Digital literacy or media literacy or Internet Safety – many names for a similar concept. My research here at the University of Plymouth takes a peer support focus for responsible internet use – and I wholeheartedly agree with the need to engage, educate and have balanced discussions at all age levels.
I am afraid I take issue with the Panorama One Click From Danger. Media bodies do have a particular slant or interpretation of a situation that they wish to promote – and I worry about people’s understanding being based purely upon media stories. I would be far more reassured if it was made clear that there were a variety of sources which also included the back up of actual concrete objective research.
Thank you.
Shirley
Shirley i do agree and we didnt just use this program however it was a good source of video for us to highlight issues. We did use other sources(Tanya Byrons Safer children report as another) and while it was only a project at uni we did take advice from focus groups to gauge opinion on what they wanted to know about internet safety if such a project ever were to be publicly available.
Alan i would be more than happy to share this (as would the others who made the project). Its more of an interactive dvd guide(nearly finished) but if of any use then let me know. its in .exe format just now.
Amanda