April 2008 Archives
Check out the article in today's Washington Post, "When Young Teachers Go Wild on the Web." The article reveals how some young teachers are finding that their "private" Facebook profiles and photos can actually be viewed by a wider circle, including their school district administrators. In some cases, revealing and inappropriate photos have led to dismissal from professional positions.
Teens and young adults are under the false impression that only their "friends" can view the images and comments one enters on a Facebook or MySpace page. The Washington Post article describes one teacher's discovery that her Facebook is not as private as she thought. "Like several other teachers interviewed, Webster said she thought her page could only been seen by people she accepted as "friends." But like those of many teachers on Facebook, Webster's profile was accessible by the more than 525,000 members of the Washington, D.C. network. Anyone can join any geographic network."
Parents... tell your kids, teens and young adults about the risks of sharing personal, private information and pictures online. What goes online stays online ... and can be viewed for many years by current and future employers, colleagues, college admissions officers, and others.
Recently a Fox television station online site had this article about a recent attack by a group of Florida teenage girls on one of their fellow cheerleaders. Eight teens brutally beat a 16-year-old girl and then posted a video of the attack on YouTube. It was reported that the fight may have been the result of a negative posting the victim placed on her MySpace page, and in retaliation the girls physically attacked her - and recorded the entire attack.
The Fox reporter made an important point, one I believe parents need to understand: today the fights aren't necessarily started on the playground. An altercation can be initiated on the Internet -- and the results can be very destructive.
One of the most tragic cyber bullying stories came to national attention last year.
In St. Louis, a teenage girl, Megan Meier, committed suicide after a "boy" with whom she developed an online relationship said he no longer liked her and he didn't want to talk with her again. The "boy" was actually a classmate's mother who was pretending to be a teenage boy and devised the plan to hurt Megan because she thought Megan had actually been mean to her own daughter.
These are two extreme cases of cyber bullying, but there are other common ways teens can bully one another (and be bullied) online. For example, kids post mean comments on social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook or send instant messages or spread rumors through e-mails that are then forwarded on to others.
One important solution? Parents: talk to your kids! Engage your family in a discussion about the possible dangers that can occur online... including cyber bullying.
Her study is now complete and the recommendations of the Byron Review have just been released. The Review highlights the tremendous benefits of the Internet for kids, but also recognizes the dangers. One important observation is that parents often lack the knowledge of the Internet necessary to protect their children.
The Review recommends the creation of a UK Council for Child Internet Safety. The council will bring together government, industry, children's charities, parents, and young people to address online safety issues. The Review also recommends a comprehensive public information and awareness campaign on child Internet safety across government and industry.
The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) issued a press release and CEO Stephen Balkam hailed the report as "...the most comprehensive review of the Internet and children to date..."
There's much more to the Byron Review and you can read about it by following the links below:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/byronreview/
http://www.fosi.org/press/fosiwelcomesbyron/
