Trinidad and Tobago Guardian _ December 5th 2013, Page 142
1
4/5/2015 Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, December 5th 2013 http://digital.guardian.co.tt/global/print.asp?path=/djvu/Guardian%20Media%20Limited/Trinidad%20and%20Tobago%20Guardian/05Dec2013&pages=page000… 1/1 BG22 I COMMENTARY BUSINESS GUARDIAN .guardlan.co.tt DECEMBER 2013 • WEEK ONE Safeguards for a digitally connected home 5 tips to protecting children online M ost people how to spot danger on the streets in the physical world but, in the 21st century, parents need new tools to guard youngsters against the potential threats in cyberspace. Given the tidal wave of gadgets, apps and Web sites fl homes, schools and life, any parent would be hard pressed to find a way to avoid technology today. And why should they? to the In, infor- more able. Opr- tunities abound for those with access its vast stores of dital owled. However, the same leclmulugy U1al as uur illeu lu reach out to new sources of owledge and are also them vul- nerable to exploitation harm. Online phonaphy, cyber-, r- stalking, identity theft, hacking and online mbling are corpting spots on the online landscape. A London School of Economics study found that nine out of ten children between the as of eight and 16 have viewed pooaphy on the Inte, in most cases, unintentionally. d's vis found a new home. That home extends into homes the we ve l to play. Mind the generational gap Some parents do not necessarily feel equipped to help their children to navigate new world. For dital immiants, the who ew up in a pre-In era and adopted technology later life, the gulf tween approaches logy that of their young be quite inmidating. The so-called dital natives, those who n up by thnology, are more comfortable-and nt-at inter- facing with it. The generational gap in approach, is widened by a risk- culture we are more deny ch- dren, as opposed to adapting to best meet their develop needs to eeriment take risks. So, some parents, of desperation, resort to complete acss to sa- guard their n. But this is a l m as it be eas me access the Inet at school, in the public hbrary or by the next door neighbours. guidelines parents and s Parents today have to new and new mana their children keep them sa. The good news , we there may be unsuitable content on the web, you protect ts om the pottial dangers. • (vllvwing tips cun help purents uml s gui their c rech- nol mi a them a o- c i. 1. y Unless you are dply involved the tech- nology field, chances are that your n l always ow more about it you do. This does not necessarily have to be a bad thing. Parents need to first make peace that ct and unde that it dœsn't mean that all hope lost. Make the online search ennes your friend. Sites Gꝏgle, Bing, and Yahoo are your launch pad owl- edge. Make a list of all of the technoloes that your children use and understand @ lst c of ch 1. yourself on the latest ds online (e.g., g, sexting, trolling, .) and arm lf with information that l allow to talk intelligently to your child about m their dital life. 2. ow y why One dilemma pre-dates the Inteet is parents seldom find interest their n are @ to. In this Inteet a, the for investing the time to find out s interesting is the oppor- tuni to connect the dots beten the online activities and offline motivations that drive hnology Maers it. allows you to be more inrmed, and hoפfully more pctical p when dis- cussing online risks and aeeing on rules for Inteet usa. Sure are so tools that help blk content and restrict online access, but the best safe guard is self-goveance. - vating the self-govece requires parents (and teachers) to have a trusting relationship. 3· Networking sites such as Fa, unblr, Instaam and Twitter are extremely popular with teens and encourage them to post personal n as a rt of the cul- ture of sharing so prevalent on the web. Guardians and parents need to s and nstantly remind youners of the respon- S!bili et with . Data as their l name, g address, telephone number, birthdate, school, travel plans, or other information that could allow someone to discover who they are or where they are should not be posted online. Most p set- F with th that personal information is being unwit- shared with the genel public. 4· oe The ada "eveg in moderaon" be applied most online . nefits of should be well-thought out bos help your chd's l chnolo acoess is increasingly being tied to learning the 21st century. on Intet aess place children at a real disge at school. With in mind, parents set guidelines online re and the me spent on re browsing. Additionally, recronal online access be used as a privilege, as a This es parents the latitude of revoking access should the need arise. Keep mind, , hꜹe m opons for getting their online . 5· ln si oe Despite the best efforts, children may stl end up victim to an online trap. For that reason, parents should remain vilant te rog- nise the sis of online trouble or abuse. Par- ents should always open l i nes of communicati on with their children and eucour� U�emlo speak up U�ey fl Uueal- ened or targeted. It in the best interest of the parents, that they a p role in a sa nment th f onne. The more things change . 5 points don't guatee your - dren's safety online, but they certainly help you in your . Rememr, shutting off technology acss not a l option; on the only relevant response. a foundation to cope with their technology-laden future. The keys g the new dital world are edu- gulation; not isolation and . In fact, i t seems the more change they the same. ch- dren safe online, s be n and pro offline. Now more ever, parents to work on the relationship with their children and them the u e. the end of the day, that's the safeguard we ve our children in the dital age.
BG22 I COMMENTARY BUSINESS GUARDIAN -w.guardlan.co.tt DECEMBER
2013 WEEK ONE
Safeguards for a digitally connected home 5 tips to protecting
children online
M ost people knowhow to spot danger on the streets in the
physical world but, in the 21st century, parents need new tools to
guard youngsters against the potential threats in cyberspace.
Given the tidal wave of gadgets, apps and Web sites flooding
homes, schools and general life, any parent would be hard pressed
to find a way to avoid technology today. And why should they?
Thanks to the Internet, information has never been more accessible.
Opportunities abound for those with access to its vast stores of
digital knowledge. However, the same leclmulugy U1al alluws uur
clill
