Safety Net: A Parent's Guide to Internet and Mobile Safety for Kids

SafetyNet A PARENT'S GUIDE TO INTERNET AND MOBILE SAFETY FOR KIDS FROM THE INDUSTRY'S LEADERS AND EXPERTS Parents need to participate in their children's digital world. Rules are not enough. Parental control software is not enough. We need to teach our kids how to use and enjoy technology responsibly and that is best achieved by engaging early and often. Tim Woda, In ternet and mobile safety expert, co-founder of uKnow.com 72% OF PARENTS OF ONLINE TEENS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THE IR CHILD INTERACTS We live in an age where messages ONLINE WITH PEOPLE THEY can live forever. Never send anything DO NOT KNOW you'd be embarrassed for the world to learn about you. Stefano Sassu, General Manager, Mobile Product Develo pmentat Mindspark Help make the Interneta family activity and ask your child to help plan family events using the Internet. 69% Jayne A. Hitchcock, President, Working to HaltOnline Abuse OF PARENTS OF ONLINE TE ENS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THEIR CHILD MANAGES HIS OR HER REPUTATION ONLINE Just because you have internet safety software, it doesn't mean that your job is done. Parents need to talk to their children about the potential pitfalls of the internet. Russ Warner, CEO ContentWatch 68% OF PARENTS OF ONLINE TEENS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THEIR CHILD'S Even if you have your kids internet locked down, please be avware that many of their friends have open access to the internet. Ke ONLINE ACTIVITY MIGHT AFFECT THEIR FUTURE ACADEMIC OR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES in mind, that If they go over to a friends house you have no control on what they view. Patrick Coombe, CEO Elite Strategies 3IN4 TEENS AGES 12-17 SAY THEY ACCESS THE INTERNET ON CELL PHONES, TABLETS, & MOBILE DEVICES AT LEAST OCCASIONALLY One simple and low-tech step parents can follow to help ensure their chilodren stay safe online is to keep the family computer in a shared room and not in the child's bedroom. This can work wonders for preventing inappropriate content from being viewed. Ann Biddlecom, Senior ProductManager, Kaspersky Lab 87% OF PARENTS SAY THEY HAVE ESTABLIS HED RULES FOR THEIR Parents should set up "house rules" for their kids, which should include proper guidelines for using smartphones - items like when they're allowed tO use the phones, if they need pemission to download apps or purchase items, and how you plan to monitor their activity. KIDS' USE OF THE INTERNET SAY THEY FEEL THEY 69% KNOW ABOUT WHAT THE IR KIDS DO ONLINE OF KIDS SAY THEY DON'T SHARE YET 41% THEIR INTERNET Marian Merritt, Internet Safe ty Advocate for Norton by Symantec KN OWLEDGE OF ACTIVITIES WITH THEIR PAREN TS 29% SAY THEIRPARENT OR GUARDIAN WOULD DISAPPROVE IF THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE UP TO ON THE WEB Parents can change security setting on the phones of their children oand use apps that allow parental control on content access on mobile devices. To 9 IN 10 foster a keen interest in technology, parents can consider enrolling their kids to tech camps to learn about programming on these devices. TEENS HAVE A COMPUTER OR HAVE ACCESS AT HOME. Dr. Zigian Dong, assistant professor in NYIT's School of Engineering and Compu ting Sciences ZIN 10 TEENS WITH HOME COMPUTER ACCESS SAY THE COMPUTER THEY Parents or guardians should be monitoring and have access to the USE MOST IS SHARED WITH OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS. online accounts their children have. Amanda Brace, counselor for children and adolescents References: FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO PROTECT YOUR KIDS, VISIT: Pew Internet & American Life Project - www.pewinternet.org HTTP://Www.UKNOWKIDS.COM/ Grap hic Designer ISAFE- www.sate.org Brigit Gilbert DIBI DIDI