The article I decided to read was called “Tangled in the Web.” It addressed internet gaming and socializing. The author made the point that while her gaming got better, her real life suffered. Her relationship with her husband and kids suffered. Internet gaming became an addiction.
Most of the videos I watched were about the effects of online predators and cyber bullying.
These videos were very explicit in talking about the dangers of chat rooms. Both internet predators and cyber bullies use chat rooms to get what they want. One of the public service announcements on cyber bullying was very interesting. The video had a girl standing in front of an auditorium saying terrible things about a girl to the entire school. These were the kind of things that bullies say on the internet. The point of the video is that you should say things on the internet that you are not willing to say in front of the victim.
The most important take-aways were that the internet is a very useful tool, but it needs to be used responsible. Families can create blogs and use the internet to search for information. This shows the useful side of the internet. Chat rooms are especially dangerous because of the presence of predators and bullies. To prevent internet battle scars, computers should be placed in a well trafficked area. Parents should teach children how to use the internet for worthy causes like homework and information. Filtering programs can be installed to help block unwanted sites. Parents should learn to use the computer. Talking about internet safety in a loving atmosphere is also important. One other thing that was talked about was never giving out personal information.
The person I talked to knew that she never let her children on chat rooms because of predators, but she knew little about cyber bullying. She told me that her husband would check their internet history to see if any monkey business was going on. She is very aware of how to use the computer and knows basic internet safety. She shared a story about a girl who used internet safety while selling her computer and was blessed for it. I shared what I knew about cyber bullying. I talked about how children will be crueler over the internet than in person. She was very quiet during the whole exchange. I think it surprised her that children would be so mean.
I was surprised about her reaction because I thought she would be chattier about cyber bullying. She was very unfamiliar with the idea that cyber bullying and may have been a little uncomfortable. I was just surprised that she would be so uncomfortable about cyber bullying. I think that the person I shared with will be more likely to watch how her children use the internet. She will use the information to help her kids in the classroom (she substitute teachers at times). In that way she can help them be safe as well.
I have completed both sets of evaluations.
