Im, Phone, Kid safety

Some parents continue to wonder how privacy they should allow their children, where online activity is concerned. Of course, there is no simple answer even in a single household. Even in a family we may have rules and values that apply to all, but in so many cases different ages require different rules, and each child is individual where rule compliance, maturity, and trust levels are concerned. Having said all that, though, I will add that no parent should hesitate to use monitoring software if s/he’s concerned about a child’s safety. If you feel your child’s communicating a little obsessively online with someone you don’t know and the child’s otherwise acting a little strange (for example, spending too much time online or being secretive about his or her online “friends”), her privacy is simply not an issue; you’re keeping her safe. But a commentator in the New York Times suggests there are other reasons to use monitoring software that make it perfectly justifiable, and he makes a compelling argument, but - again - I think it depends on the child.

NetFamilyNews

I strongly suggest you click the link and read more about what Anne has to say. I honestly do believe that monitoring software is important– but in regards to seatbelts. And it should be a family project with reasons and understandings involved.

Plus, there are programs like Dodgeball out there that connect the disconnect between phones, internet, and u2u convos. There’s some misty sketchocity going on with google & dodgeball… they never quite check to ensure that the age of their users = over 13 and therefore able to use a mobile social networking (ahem, stalking) network.

Anne Collier, the brazilliant blogger @ Blogsafety, posts an article from fellow co-brazilliant blogger, Larry Magid.  Together, they are the ruling forces of ConnectSafetly.org and the blog safely forum. I was fortunately enough to bump into Larry @ the Cyber Safety Summit in Burbank a couple weeks back.  He had the best panel of the event - smart questions, smart topics, etc.  Of course, the kids were almost insanely eloquent (and unforch didn’t know too much about virtual world interactions, boo)… but regardless, it was great.

Anyway, Anne points to the way to an article created by Larry, and it’s pretty solid.  I strongly STRONGLY suggest you check it out:

Keeping Kids Safe Online: Tips & Myths It’s solid.

Blogged with the Flock Browser