In reading up on and talking in class about internet safety, I have come to realize that this something that we need to be aware of because make choices about it regularly, if not daily. The internet and cyber world are becoming more and more expected, routine, normal. With familiarity, we sometimes forget the hazards and discount the dangers. We do not see it so we do not think about it. In reading an article from the Desert News, I found many statistics that show the growing problems in this generation. Cyber-bulling is not something I have been affected by or see others deal with so it was interesting to see the stats. The site talked about topics I will definitely see in the public schools and should be aware of: bullying/harassment, sexting, relationship control. It is our job, as adults and leaders, to be aware and know where to turn for help. This link is to the class website. Our teacher is good at finding accurate information and making it available.
After reading about the wide spread and influence, I wondered how I was going to prevent it in mine and my family life. I reviewed an article on lds.org that gave really good avenues of prevention and offered hope. Some advice I had not thought of included monitoring browser histories regularly and clearing them regularly. Also, the article reminded me of important things to teach my children. I need to talk to them about chat rooms, peer-to-peer sharing, spam e-mail, and how to turn off the computer immediately. Knowledge is power and kids are using the internet at home, school, and public places. We need to help protect them by staying up on technologies and teaching them how to handle their own internet adventures with integrity. We can protect our families if we recognize and address the normality of the internet. It is a great resources, but it can be used for evil.
No comments:
Post a Comment