The rapid growth of technology has changed our lives dramatically; the Web provides instant access to news, reference information, shopping, banking, stock trading, auctions, travel information and reservations. People routinely use the Internet to take college courses, play games, listen to music, and view videos. Chat rooms and e-mails are now replacing telephones as our favorite means of long-distance communication The Internet is obviously also a wonderful resource for kids as they can use it to research school reports, communicate with teachers and other kids, and play interactive games. It's vitally important to be aware of what your kids see and hear on the Internet, who they meet, and what they share about themselves online because unfortunately, criminals are also using modern technology, and to prey on innocent victims. “As children becoming increasingly devoted to the Internet, parents must create awareness about kids' chat rooms and online communities. Almost 93 percent of kids, aged 12-17, are online, and most exhibit a level of digital proficiency (that is) bewildering. Children are often trusting and naive, which makes them sitting targets for crooks,” said Sara Ali, a senior lecturer of Computer Science at King Abdulaziz University, in an interview with Saudi Gazette. According to the Rochester Institute of Technology first grade students access the Internet using various devices for a variety of purposes, including playing online games and communicating with other people. In fact, online gaming is increasingly popular among younger students. 48 percent of students at first grade level interact with other people on websites, while 50 percent indicate that their parents watch them when they use a computer. This leaves the other half of those youngsters more prone to being exposed to predatory behaviors or other threats posed by online strangers or even persons they know or regard as friends. The survey adds that children between grades four and six frequently engage in social networking activities. In the process, they post personal - and potentially exploitable - information about themselves online. Specifically, within the last school year: 16 percent posted personal interests online; 15 percent posted information about their physical activities and 20 percent gave out their real name. In addition, five percent posted information about their school, six percent posted their home address, six percent posted their phone number and nine percent posted pictures of themselves. “Parents provide the first line of defense for their kids; proper monitoring of kids can not only save them from the bad effects of the net but also reduce the risk of many other problems. parents need to pay attention to what their kids are doing online, and ask their child non-threatening questions,” said Ali. “Avoid over-reacting if your kids have been talking to people they don't know online or if they admit that they've come across a dangerous or tricky situation online. Instead, ask them if an online stranger has tried to befriend them, and if so, how they know that person.” Other questions, depending on the age of the child and the situation, include: u Has anyone talked to you about sex? u Asked you for personal information? u Asked you for pictures? u Sent you pictures? u Said anything to make you feel uncomfortable? u Offered to send you gifts? Abdul Aziz, a computer programmer in Jeddah and father of four children told Saudi Gazette: “Parents should establish an ongoing dialogue and keep lines of communication open; supervise use of all Internet-enabled devices; know your child's online activities and friends and regularly check the online communities your children use, such as social networking and gaming sites, to see what information they are posting.” He added that parents must monitor the photos and videos their kids post and send online and discourage the use of webcams and mobile video devices. “Teach your children how to protect personal information posted online and to follow the same rules with respect to the personal information of others. Be sure your children use privacy settings and instruct your children to avoid meeting face-to-face with someone they only know online or through their mobile device,” he said. A different situation emerges with cyber-bullying. Aziz advises that parents teach their children from the onset about how to deal with cyber bullies. “Consider using monitoring software, especially if you sense your child is at risk. Periodically check your child's online activity by viewing the browser's history. Set time limits and consider using time-limiting software. Disallow access to chat rooms and only allow live audio chat with extreme caution. Limit your child's instant messaging (IM) contacts to a parent-approved buddy list,” he advised. In fact, parental controls should be utilized on all Internet-enabled devices (desktops, laptops; gaming, mobile, and music devices). However, these resources are not a substitute for parental supervision. According to a recent survey conducted by Cox Communications and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), 61 percent of teens have accounts through online communities and chat rooms. What's even more shocking is that 14 percent have met or are considering in-person meetings with people they met online. According to a survey conducted by McAfee, 52 percent of teens have given out personal information online to someone they don't know including personal photos and/or physical descriptions of themselves (24 percent); twice the number of teen girls have shared photos or physical descriptions of themselves online as boys; 11 percent have unlocked/disabled/ parental/filtering controls; 43 percent have closed or minimized the browser at the sound of a parent; 63 percent of teens said they know how to hide what they do online from their parents; 32 percent of teens clear the browser history to hide what they do online from their parents. “Protecting children against Internet dangers can seem like an overwhelming task. While there is no particular silver bullet to keep children safe in the virtual space, the good news is that you don't need a Ph.D. in Internet technology to be a great cyber-parent. However, you do need to make a commitment to become familiar with the technology your children use and to stay current with Internet safety issues,” concluded Aziz.
