I’m passionate about educating families to keep kids safe online and developing awareness about potential risks of having kids on the internet because the online landscape is constantly changing. We know that the internet is a treasure trove of educational activities, helpful online communities, our go-to for information, but also poses real risks that can be hard to keep up with on a daily basis.
Sometimes my online safety radar feels like it borders on paranoia when many parents I meet wonder why I am so hypersensitive. I’m sure it seems silly to some that I don’t let our PTA post first and last names of kids on our school website, that I had to ask a teacher about the YouTube privacy settings she was enabling when posting video her class, and that I ask permission of parents before taking any pictures of their kids that might possibly end up on my website until I read the latest statistics.
AVG Technologies sent me results from a recent survey conducted with 6-9 year olds about their online activities. Take a look. The results speak for themselves and demonstrate the importance of parents continuing to educate themselves to protect their children online.
- More than half (51 percent) of 6-9 year olds use some kind of children’s social network such as Club Penguin or WebKinz.
- Roughly one in five use email, and despite being underage, 14 percent are on Facebook, according to their parents.
- 47 percent of 6-9 year olds talk to their friends on the internet.
- Almost one in six 6-9 year olds and one in five 8- to 9-year-olds have experienced what their parents consider objectionable or aggressive behavior online.
- American children average four hours online each week, slightly more than the worldwide average of 3.5 hours per week.
- 58 percent of parents admit they are neither well-informed nor understand their children’s online social networks.
- Only 56 percent of parents were certain their family computer has parental controls or safety programs in place.
Here are some things you can do to raise online safety bar in your home to avoid being a statistic:
- Visit my post about internet safety resources for parents to keep kids safe online. If you’ve heard me talk about Yahoo! Safely, MTV’s A Thin Line, and Common Sense Media but haven’t visited, bookmark this post and check out the wealth of information on these sites!
- Talk to your children about internet dangers and know how to keep them safe on Facebook. After all, let’s be honest- I know the minimum Facebook age is 13 but that kids much younger are using it. If you let your kids on Facebook, be in the know about their constantly changing terms and how they might impact your family. Download Connect Safely’s A Parents’ Guide to Facebook. This free 35 page booklet and online resource provides parents with the perspective and how-to information they need to help their teens optimize their privacy and safety on Facebook
- Become knowledgeable about malware. Know what it is, where it comes from, and the difference between viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Malware is everywhere these days (Macs and PCs!) since cybercriminals are becoming more crafty about their methods of distribution. It doesn’t just masquerade as legitimate looking software. I was recently hit with a fake Facebook event that spammed my entire network! Yes, totally embarrassing!
- Download AVG Technologies’ Family Safety software for free with your 99 cent donation to the American Red Cross efforts in Joplin, Missouri. You can’t put a price on your family’s online safety but AVG certainly makes it wallet friendly!
‘This post contained information provided by AVG Technologies, Inc., a company that believes that a family’s Internet security begins with parents, and children should be taught about Internet safety from a young age. No compensation or product was received from this post.
Thanks for reading Tech Savvy Mama through your feed!
Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
©2012
Those stats are so scary- here in our town as small as it is they have a dept at the police station whos only interest is catching online predators.
I really think the most important thing is for parents to be parents and not friends and take their role of providing a safe environment seriously.
The time to complain and cry isnt after the kids are approached or solicited it it is before by being proactive. If a parent doesnt know alot about computers or cellphones, they need to educaate themselves before blindly handing their kids the latest devices and expecting the kids to have good behaviors- kids arent adults and even some adults make sad decisions online.
Great article!