Could Your Child Be a Cyberbully?
Could your child be a cyberbully? Social Media Sites and Apps are handed to our kids as soon as they get a smartphone or other internet connected device. These devices are powerful and potentially dangerous but many kids are getting them without so much as a blink of an eye from parents. Many parents want their kids to have them for safety reasons so they can get in touch with them in a nano-second and vice versa. They also get them so their kids won’t feel left out socially. Let’s take a step back and think about another dangerous device that’s on the roadways, cars. Fortunately, there are...
Read MoreHeads down in computer device screens! Are our kids missing out on the world around them?
Heads down in screens! Are our kids missing out on the world around them? We’ve all seen kids heads down, mesmerized in their devices, in the car, at a restaurant, visiting Grandma, on vacation texting with their friends, social networking or playing games. Some Stats: 95% of teens (12-17) use the internet 81% use social media 50% log into social media more than once per day 21% of kids under 13 use social media sites Kids as in all generations, like to connect with their friends… There is no doubt that staying in touch with friends is important to tweens and teens. Remember when we were...
Read MoreOnline Safety 2015 – My Comment
My Comment to “Online Safety Redefined, the 3 Key Elements”, by Stephen Balkam, CEO, Family Online Safety Institute Yes, taking risks in life is necessary. As kids are learning and growing parents are the ones that guide them and teach them with regard to many potential risky behaviors. Novices at white water rafting have a guide in the raft to help navigate dangerous waters. Many powerful tools, including computer devices are dangerous in uneducated, unsupervised hands. Kids may love woodworking, but no parent is going to let their child use a table saw with out guidance. Many little...
Read MoreSocial Networking or Gaming: What You Should Know About Online Addiction
Online Addiction Your tween or teen is up in their bedroom with the door closed. They come down for dinner and occasionally utter a grunt. Then they go back upstairs. What are they doing? Playing video games perhaps? Are you worried that you or your child may have a problem? Take this Quiz: What is Online Addiction? There are people whose online behavior or online over-use becomes out of control. They can’t stop, just as a drug user can’t stop from getting the next fix or an alcoholic hides their bottle of booze in their dresser drawer at the ready to feed their craving....
Read MorePrevention of Cyber-Threat Risk Begins at Home
Cyber-Threats and Attacks Are all Too Real Since the Sony hacking scandal broke, there has been intense discussion about cyber-threats! FBI moved cyberthreats to top of law-enforcement agenda because it’s such a serious concern. Former FBI director, James Comey, said, “I see a whole lot of hacktivists, I see a whole lot of international criminal gangs, very sophisticated thieves.” “I see people hurting kids, tons of pedophiles, an explosion of child pornography.” No joke. President Obama recently referred to the internet as being the wild west. “The U.S. will also turn to the...
Read MoreCyber Crime is Big Biz! Steps to Prevent Phishing Scams
Hacking attacks and security breaches… Hacking is in the news all too frequently today. Breaches at Target, Home Depot, JPMorgan Chase are a few of the security hacking scandals of criminals breaking into systems that we’ve all heard about. When you first heard the news story of Target, for example, you probably asked yourself, like I did, ” When was the last time you shopped there?” Unfortunately, there is little that you can do to prevent these breaches other than perhaps paying cash for purchases or hiding your money under your mattress. Target’s breach occurred last year...
Read More
