internet safety – Media! Tech! Parenting!

acceptable use, cyber-bullying, digital citizenship, digital parenting, family conversations, parents and technology

Trend Micro’s Family Internet Safety and Citizenship Site

Posted on February 18, 2011February 28, 2015 by Marti Weston

Trend Micro, a web security firm, devotes a part of the company’s website to Internet Safety for Families and Kids. The section is well-organized and topical so a visitor can quickly scan a list of subjects to find tips, links to organizations that support digital citizenship, and an internet safety and citizenship resources library that includes a wide range of documents available downloading and sharing. Topics include Safety Tips for Social Networking, three short videos on social networking, and A Safety Guide for Web Threats. These and other documents can be used as handouts for parent organizations and discussion groups, or just shared during those parent-child conversations that are so necessary in today’s digital world.

Continue reading “Trend Micro’s Family Internet Safety and Citizenship Site” →

digital citizenship, digital parenting, parent education, parents and technology

Help! What’s that Internet Term? M!T!P! Blog Excursion-10/5/10

Posted on October 5, 2010October 6, 2010 by Marti Weston

So you are online, and you see a term you do not understand — aggregator, for instance or secure socket layer (SSL). How about TRUSTe? No need to despair. Instead, when you discover an unfamiliar word go to GetNetWise and visit the Internet glossary.

Although your digital children whiz confidently around the virtual world (probably too confidently, from your perspective), it’s likely that they don’t know many of these terms either. Make it your business to learn about them and have fun demonstrating your knowledge.

The site also features a Tools for Families database to help parents search for filters, blockers, monitors and other tools to assist families craft home Internet environments. You can also check out the GetNetWise blog.

GetNetWise (learn more about the industry sponsors and supporters) is part of the Internet Education Organization.

digital parenting, online safety, online security, parents and technology

Help Your Family Avoid Online Scams

Posted on September 7, 2010September 12, 2010 by Marti Weston

Every minute of every day people are victims of online scams — most often they arrive via e-mail. Some experts estimate that one person every 10 seconds is a victim of some type of scam or identity theft, and often the theft of personal information is easier because the victim unwittingly provides personal data. Families with multiple computers are especially vulnerable because people are working on many different online tasks. Children are susceptible to scams with animals, sick children, and the hardships of disasters. Kids need to be reminded – frequently – not to hit the reply button, no matter how good the cause.

The consumer affairs reporter at the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Sheryl Harris, has developed Scamfinder, an extensive database to help people identify questionable e-mail or phone calls.

While most of us are familiar with the unrelenting e-mails from Nigeria, many other online scams, usually delivered by e-mail, are realistic and unnerving because they hit so close to home — for instance a charity soliciting around the time of a natural catastrophe or a seemingly thoughtful person writing to ask for contributions to police or victims of abuse. Sheryl Harris is often featured on the Market Place radio program, most recently on September 6, 2010. Scamfinder categories include:

Continue reading “Help Your Family Avoid Online Scams” →