You probably have been reading the news stories which say Americans are being influenced about who to vote for in the presidential election by what they are seeing online. I think we can now conclude that the Internet can have an influence on some decisions. But which gang to join?

An Atlanta television station reported recently that gangs are taking their recruitment efforts to the Web. A similar story also ran on a San Diego television station website about the gang problems facing that city. An Oceanside Police Department officer was quoted as saying that gangs have been known to use the Internet to communicate, recruit and intimidate.

The link between the gangs and online networking seems strong enough that the Richmond County Sheriff’s department in Georgia has had a search warrant served on MySpace.com. The department wants access to a user’s MySpace account to read his messages and to track the ISPs that messages were sent from. This is part of the investigation of a fight involving as many as 50 students at the Academy of Richmond County last April.

These stories are just another reminder of how widespread the use of Internet and social networking sites is. As a parent, you do not want to intrude or pry, but it is important for you to know what your kids are up to online.

Robin

A recent UCLA study reveals the results of an in-depth survey of online youth in all 50 states.

Though one would expect some mention of cyberbullying, the number of children affected is surprisingly high. Of the almost 1500 surveyed youth between 12 and 17, nearly 75% were bullied online at least once during the past year. Some other figures:

• 41% of the surveyed teenagers were bullied 1 to 3 times in the past year
• 13% reported being bullied four to six times
• 19% were bullied seven or more times

Despite the widely shared experience, those bullied typically felt alone and isolated. This attitude then led to further depression and anxiety for the youth. When asked why they did not tell their parents, the following responses were received:

• about 50% had remained silent because of the belief that they simply “need to learn to deal with it”
• 31% didn’t tell their parents out of fear that their internet access would be limited as a result

Hopefully, the study will gain some attention, and will help parents, teachers, and youth to understand true extent of cyber bullying. The full study can be read in the September issue of the Journal of School Health.

-Kai

The Internet can be a great place to learn about and discuss political candidates. It also seems to be a spot where their political futures can end. The New Democratic Party in Canada has seen their third candidate drop out of the federal race due to an Internet-related misstep.

Ontario’s Andrew McKeever has resigned due to comments he made on Facebook and MySpace reportedly before becoming a candidate. His comments have been described as violent and misogynist.

Earlier in the race, Vancouver Quadra candidate Kirk Tousaw stepped down after a 2005 video, available online, showed him judging strains of pot in a competition. West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country candidate Dana Larsen resigned after video showed him driving after using marijuana.

These stories just re-enforce how important it is to make sound judgements when it comes to the Internet as well as whenever a camera or cell phone is on.

Robin

A new online child-protection agency has recently been launched. The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) aims to educate children about online risks, take steps to prevent cyber-bullying, and ensure that inappropriate games and media are carefully restricted.

The council will report to the UK Prime Minister, and will include over 100 organizations, including Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. The council intends to publish their full strategy in the new year, but their outline includes policies to moderate advertisements to children, increase public awareness of online dangers, and force the closure of illegal sites.

The BBC reported on Gordon Brown, current Prime Minister, in his comments on the newly created council: “This is the first in the world - it will be path-breaking and already I have been talking to prime ministers in other countries who are interested in this.”

With such terms as “landmark” and “path-breaking” to describe the new group, the extent of the group’s power and the councilors’ expectations may cause some concerns. One council member said: “If the internet industry doesn’t respond and do this - clean up its act on a voluntary basis - they’re going to get legislation and compulsion.” However, concrete methods and guidelines have not yet been published, and the true strength and efficacy of the group cannot yet be judged.

Of course I admire and encourage the ideals behind this council, but some doubts remain. Will every non-child site be expected to enact age verification techniques? Will all comments, discussions, and links be reviewed to ensure that inappropriate content is not seen? As a UK council, will they have any jurisdiction over international sites? These seem unreasonable and unattainable. Rather than attempting to police the entire “internet industry” (an odd blanket term which may belie an unfamiliarity with the variety and scope of the internet), perhaps families should simply be better informed about their options, about making smart choices, and about individual parental controls that can be used.

Brown was quoted as saying the internet offers “a world of entertainment, of opportunity and knowledge” for youth. He went on to say “But just as we would not allow them to go out unsupervised in playgrounds or in youth clubs or in swimming pools, so we must put in place the measures we need to keep our children safe online.“

This is very true. What we want are water-wings and life-guards to protect children. We don’t want to drain the swimming pool.

Once the council has submitted their actual strategies, it will be interesting to see the range of their approach, and the reception of online communities.

-Kai

So, you have talked to your kids about being careful about what they post on MySpace. And? You don’t think they are listening? The warnings about predators? No, go? The cautionary messages about what potential employers might think haven’t worked?

Who knows if this will help your cause, but you might want to tell them that potential “friends” might be checking them out. A Palm Beach Post story  described how incoming college freshman are vetting their assigned roommates online before they meet in person. According to statistics in the article, up to 20 per cent of the 100 roommate reassignment requests made at Florida Atlantic University were related to items found on social networking sites. In response, the Boca Raton school has put into effect a rule this summer saying Internet-based concerns cannot be the sole reason for a new roommate.

So, what is it that prompts a student to ask for a new ‘mate after checking them out online? A FAU official said students often don’t come right out and say it but it usually boils down to race, lifestyle differences and where a student lives? Lives? Yes, there have been reports of students using Google Earth to see what kind of neighbourhood potential roommates are coming from.

While this Internet scouting can cause hurt feeling for dumped students and headaches for the university, the article also noted it can be helpful. It is a way for the students to “meet” in a forum they are comfortable and also to work out such details as who’s bringing the microwave.

What do you think? Would you encourage your child to check out a potential roommate first? Or is this a case where a book should not be judged by its cover? Should part of the university experience be meeting new people and learning how to get along rather than vetting your “friends” first?

Robin

This past week, talk-show host and influential tv personality Oprah presented an episode devoted to internet predators, the people who try to catch them, and what viewers can do to help.

She focused primarily on pedophiles and abusers who posted pictures of their activities online. One particularly shocking section had Oprah reading aloud from a website which gave tips and pointers for predators and pedophiles, to aide their activities and prevent capture.

Clips of the show can be viewed on the Oprah website:

http://www.oprah.com/dated/oprahshow/oprahshow_20080911_predators

Programs such as ‘To Catch a Predator,’ and various television newsmagazine exposes do much to create awareness, perhaps even paranoia, about online predators. Oprah, however, has a clear objective. She implored her American viewers to push for the passing of the ‘Protect our Children Act,’ a piece of legislation which would increase funding to law enforcement agencies, provide new technologies, and prioritize the rescue of abused and exploited children. The Oprah website outlines the bill, and provides a template for readers to write their senator:

http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20080911_tows_predators

Though the subject of Oprah’s program was appalling, it was good to see popular media recognize the serious threats and dangers facing some children. As awareness spreads, government organizations will be better able to protect children, and prevent these outrages from continuing.

It used to be when you thought of parental controls online, your first thought was about adult sites and how to protect kids from viewing that content. But, as Bob Dylan sang, The Times They Are A-Changin’.

What Internet users, and definitely not just kids, are looking for now are social networking sites. A new book, Click: What Millions of People Are Doing Online and Why It Matters, shows that sites such as Facebook and MySpace are searched for more often now than p*rn sites. According to the book, written by Hitwise manager of global research Bill Tancer, in May of this year Facebook accounted for one in every 72 searches. Social networking connected sites such as MySpace, Bebo and YouTube were also in the top 10. On the flipside, searches for porn have dropped from 20 per cent of all searches 10 years ago to 10 per cent now.

So, this is good, right? Less searching for p*rn should be positive, but we also need to be aware of the dangers connected with social networking. These sites can be a fantastic way to stay in touch, catch up and meet new friends. However, for young people in particular, the sites can have pitfalls, such as stalkers and bullies. Education and awareness can make them much safer.

Robin

In a recent post, we wrote about the difficulty in finding kid friendly games, especially online. An avid reader (and more avid gamer) has informed me about a number of games, online and off, which gear themselves specifically towards the whole family.

XBox offers a number of games in their ‘Platinum Family Hits’ line, each of which rated as ‘E’ for everyone.

Steven Spielberg has worked to develop one of the most successful family games - Boom Blox - for the Nintendo Wii. Spielberg explained his choice: “I really wanted to create a video game I could play with my kids.”

These kinds of attitudes have particularly resonated with somewhat younger parents. These parents grew up with video games, be they Colecovision or Nintendo, and never really let them go. So, as their children become interested in games, this becomes a source of family fun.

The stereotypical image of a gamer, a white teenage male, loner, in his basement, perhaps with dorito-stained fingertips, begins to fade as the appeal of video games widens.

According to a study by the NPD Group, a market research company, the basement-dwelling teen isn’t the “Quintessential gamer” anymore.

The market has expanded to include younger children, women, and ages ranging to the 40s.

And the market continues to expand, says the NPD Group study: “The gaming industry is alive and well in Canada, with all signs indicating increases in the coming months and years.”

This growth allows for more opportunities for parents and children to play together, in games they both enjoy. Various game makers are recognizing this, and are producing games, and online environments, which foster family play. Perhaps in a few more years, grandparents will be eager to join the fun too.

-Kai

If you grew up in Manitoba like I did, you are used to outdoor sporting events being canceled for a variety of weather-related reasons. Baseball games in postponed because of snow.  Soccer games canceled because the pitch was flooded by spring runoff.

However, weather was not a factor in a youth football game being canceled in Winnipeg this past weekend. The scheduled bantam football game, which would have featured 14-year-olds, was called off due to an alleged Facebook threat. Allegedly two North Winnipeg Nomads players threatened some rival Crestcentwood Grizzlies opponents on the popular social networking site.

According to a CBC.com story, Nomad team officials are saying they don’t know the specifics of the allegations but are investigating the matter. The two players allegedly involved have been suspended from the community-based team.

So, was canceling the game an overreaction? My gut reaction is yes. “These are kids just fooling around. Parents would be there. Nothing bad would happen,” were the thoughts that went through my head.

However, when I thought about it for a few moments memories of newscasts following the Virgina Tech and Dawson College (Montreal) came to mind.  News reports following those tragic events seemed to show that online postings by the perpetrators indicated what they were capable of. While a reasonable person would say the Winnipeg situation was a rivalry between two football teams and would never escalate to tragedy of the other two events, it is scary to consider the precedence.

What do you think? Should the game have been played?

Robin

Are you concerned about what your kids are watching on TV? Do you worry about what the grim crime dramas such as CSI (and all of its spinoffs) and Bones are exposing your kids to? Or is it the “kids gone wild” storylines of Gossip Girl that have you concerned? Or are you concerned about your offspring thinking “reality” TV is actually real?
If you are concerned, maybe you have tried blocking their access to such shows. However, in today’s Internet-connected world, you can watch almost every TV series online whenever you want to. Many networks stream episodes shortly after they have aired. All kinds of television programs can be found on countless websites. While this is great if you have missed an episode of your favourite show, it is not so wonderful for parents. It takes the control of the “remote” out of the hands of parents.
There are some different ways parents can handle this. You could think about using parental controls software to block certain sites. This software can be great tool for parents. In this case, there are many websites hosting videos it might be hard to block all of the places your kids could watch the offending series.
Another idea is to talk to your kids. What do they like to watch? What shows are their peers interested in? You can also tell them what you like. During the conversation you could bring up the names of some shows you are concerned about and hear their views. This conversation, and followup ones, could help both of you have a better understanding where each of you is coming from.

Robin