INTERNET SAFETYTips for becoming a “surfer” dude!

WINDOW TO THE WORLD…

• The “Information Superhighway”!

• The Internet is a global medium• The Internet allows for

immediate feedback• Shop without leaving your

home• Communicate with friends and

family easily and quickly• Become educated• Travel• And so much more!

or BARRIER TO PRIVACY?

• Sexual predators• Identity Theft• Electronic communication

problems• Cyberbullies• Which websites are

reliable?• Viewpoints differ from

family to community to society

• Distasteful activities vs. Free Speech

ONLINE RISKS

• Protect your privacy• Protect yourself• Electronic Communicati

on• Cyberbullying• Websites• News and information

PREVENT IDENTITY THEFT!

• Account ID’s & passwords• Your birthday• SSN• Hometown• Address• Phone numbers• School you attend• Photos• NEVER REVEAL PERSONAL INF

ORMATION ONLINE!

PROTECT YOURSELF

• Never meet an online “friend” in person

• Sexual predators are around “every corner”

• Sexual harassment can happen to you!

• Adult material….IS FOR ADULTS!• Ask your parents for permission

online• Uncomfortable? Log off and tell y

our parents

COMMUNICATING ONLINE

• Chat Rooms– Group of individuals “talking”– Popular area for kids– Maintain privacy - don’t give

out personal information• Instant Messaging (IM)

– One-on-one rather than group (chat room)

– Safe IF you know the person

COMMUNICATING ONLINE (cont.)• Email

– Spam, or junk, emails (virused, adult material?)

– Delete emails from strangers and unknown sources

– Phishing - “Account Information Update Required”

• MySpace, Facebook, wiki’s, blogs

• Be careful what you say and who you send it to!

CYBERBULLYING

• Occurs in chat rooms, IM, texting, blogs, and email

• Behaviors include name-calling, gossip, threats, teasing, sexual harrassment, disrespect, deceit

• Avoid being bullied by:– NEVER post harmful comments

or information– Avoid arguments– Humor and sarcasm can be

insulting– Use emoticons

• Received threats - log off and tell parents (don’t retaliate)

VISITING WEBSITES

• Viewed material– Sexual– Hateful– Violent– Other inappropriate

• Enter information about yourself– Enter contest– Sign up on a mailing list

• Set up guidelines for surfing with your parents

WHAT’S RELIABLE?

• What’s in a URL?– Personal pages may include

~, %, “users”, “members”, or “people”

– Domain name and material should be related

• Scan the page for information– Who wrote the page?– What is the author’s

expertise?– “About us”, “Philosophy”,

“Biography” link?– When was the last update?

WHAT’S RELIABLE (cont.)• Indicators of quality

information– Are there links (that work) to

other reliable sources?– Where is the information

coming from (academic journals and books)?

– Is the information documented?

• What do others say?– Web search the author– Are other pages linking to

this website?– What’s the opposing view?

• 3 C’s of Internet Safety:– Inappropriate CONTACT

(cyberbullies, predators)– Inappropriate CONTENT

(viewed, downloaded, or sent)

– Inappropriate CONDUCT (anonymity is easy, hacking)

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES• CBBC Newsround (2009). Internet Safety. Retrieved January 21, 2009 from

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/quiz/newsid_3078000/3078351.stm• Disney.com Online Safety for Kids. (n.d.) Retrieved January 19, 2009 from

http://a.dolimg.com/media/en-US/dcom/guestservices/safety/safetytips.pdf• Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask. (November 24, 2008)

Retrieved January 20, 2009 from http://www.lib.berkely.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html

• GetNetWise. (2008) Retrieved January 13, 2009 from http://kids.getnetwise.org/safetyguide• Madigan, L. (June 2004). SURFING SAFELY: Online Safety Tips. Retrieved on January 4, 2009

from http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/brochures/internet1106.pdf• McMullin, M. (2002). Internet Safety Quiz for Students. Retrieved on January 8 from

http://iol.ie/~dromore/safety/quiz/quiz.htm• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (2009). Internet Safety Quiz for Kids.

Retrieved January 21, 2009 from http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/other/InternetSafety.htm