cybersafety – Cyber Savvy Mom

Results of a study released earlier this month by security products vendor Kaspersky Lab finds children can be as little as three clicks away from inappropriate or adult content on YouTube.

From the report:

Examining YouTube’s ‘suggested’ videos which sit visibly alongside clips or episodes of popular children’s television programs such as Peppa Pig, Rastamouse and Dora the Explorer, researchers found that, on average, users are just three clicks away from content better suited to a more mature audience.

Music videos featuring violence, guns and nudity, clips of post watershed television programs and car crash compilations are some examples of the inappropriate content just a few clicks away on the video sharing website. These results highlight the potential risks such sites pose if parental controls are not activated or children are left unattended while browsing.

I know I’ve experienced this many times when I have allowed my children to spend some time on YouTube. One minute they are innocently watching an episode of Pajaminals, and the next thing I know they have stumbled upon video with questionable content, including obscene language and violence.

One particular trend I’ve noticed is the “parody” videos that tend to lead good-intentioned children into suddenly viewing things they are too young to see or understand. For example, my kids like the very popular internet character Fred Figglehorn (created by teen actor, and now Nickelodeon star, Lucas Cruikshank). The Fred videos are pretty silly and a bit over the top, but generally age appropriate for my children. Unfortunately, there are many “parodies” (people making fun) of the Fred character, too. These tend to be wildly inappropriate for young children. Same goes for many other popular kids shows, like Sponge Bob or even Sesame Street.

It’s best to allow YouTube viewing only when you can be in the room, too, and with the volume loud enough so you can hear what is going on. Check in frequently and assist younger children with making appropriate choices.

David Emm, senior security researcher at Kaspersky Lab, offers additional suggestions for protecting your children.

Supervision – This may seem obvious, but supervise your child’s Internet use. Encourage them to visit and stay on websites you’re familiar with. If you have any concerns you can look at their browsing history. Be sure to know about any password protected sites they may be accessing and ask them to share their login details with you.

Be open – Encourage your child to be open about what they are doing online and who they are socializing with. Promote a culture of safety within the home and talk about the possible dangers which exist.

Protect your family – Use parental control on sites you don’t want your child looking at as part of your online security product – it’s an easy way to avoid disaster.

Do you have a bullying awareness program in your local schools? More communities are creating educational programs around bullying, and cyberbullying, in response to the alarmingly high-rate of incidents that are being reported around the country.

If you don’t have a local program, there are now many online resources to check out for information. In fact, a New York University law school student and an openly gay man has launched an online program called The Bullying Academy that addresses the issues around bullying and looks into ways kids, parents and educators can stop and prevent it. The Bullying Academy was created by Walser as a free online resource designed to help parents, students and teachers deal with the dangers associated with bullying and cyber-bullying.

According to a release from the folks behind the program, the person who launched the program, Tommy Walser, has watched in shock and anger as it seems like every week a new suicide is being committed due to bullying and cyber-bullying.

“Cyber-cruelty is rapidly increasing in volume and complexity because adolescents and teens are never taught how to act responsibly and appropriately while communicating online or via other electronic devices,” said Walser.

Tommy, now 23, is proud of his sexuality, but growing up it was a different story. He admits that as an adolescent and teen, he was picked on by others for being “different.” He decided to channel his experience into something positive by creating a program to educate kids before bullying reaches a critical point.

The Bullying Academy does not require any additional software or extensive training. Schools register with the organization’s website and students immediately have access to the program. The Bullying Academy provides a professionally developed curriculum and grade appropriate content to engage students through a scavenger hunt composed of lessons and learning links, as well as utilizing quizzes which function as assessments. The program has been designed with a pre- and post-quiz so that participants can measure what was learned about bullying and its ramifications.

There are also contests for schools that participate, whereby the winning school gets a trophy, pizza party and certificate for the teacher. Any students who complete the program will also receive a diploma that ranges from gold to bronze depending on score. Students learn:

Characteristics and risk factors common to bullies
What bullies look for in victims
How to recognize the short- and long-term effects of bullying on victims and bullies
How to properly respond and report bullying
How to avoid violence while standing up for each other

Check out The Bullying Academy and see if there is some good information on there you can share with your kids, community or local educators.

Tag: cybersafety

Study: Children just “three clicks away” from inappropriate content

The Bullying Academy