There are so many issues when it comes to internet safety. I believe that students need to be constantly reminded that they cannot for any reason give out any personal information. There are so many internet predators out there. I think that people sometimes are naive when it comes to this issue. These people who prey on children are smart and know how to use the internet for their advantage. This is an issue that I think is just starting to get the attention that it deserves.
Not only are there sexual predators, but there are people who prey on the young and old in hopes to get money. There are so many scams out there that it's ridiculous. There are really no rules when it comes to using the internet for this purpose. Just 2 months ago my brother and cousin were close to being scammed for renting an apartment. They found a great place to live in over the internet, but the tenants (supposedly missionaries living in Africa) wanted them to send a deposit. They decided that it sounded "fishy" so they drove 3 hours to the apartment and couldn't find it because it wasn't there.
Parents and teachers need to be extra cautious in explaining the dangers to their students. It's important that the reasons are explained to them (within reasons). So many times I think that people don't want to "scare" children. I understand that this is important, but they also need to know why they shouldn't post their address or phone number on Myspace, or anywhere else. This may sound like common sense, but that is because we know the consequences.
Another internet safety issue is pornography. This is a safety issue because I don't believe that any child should accidentally come across a pornographic site. The internet is mainly used for pornography. 90% of the websites are geared for porn. There are some great resources and internet search engines that make sure that porn is filtered out. But in all honesty, I think that parents and teachers need to be smart about this issue. Boys will find a way.
So there are plenty of internet dangers, but the best way to avoid these dangers is to be smart and communicate with children.
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We are going to talk about Internet safety later this semester. It is a huge issue for teachers and for parents. Teachers have a great opportunity to help students understand the dangers and to learn how to respond to unsafe situations. There are some fun resources that can be used in the classroom.
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