Family and Child Online Safety Blog - SafetyClicks

Can you imagine a world where everything we say and share - thoughts, opinions, images - is 'recorded' for others to snag and use at will? Can you imagine your mistakes captured and played back over and over again for you to relive and anyone else to see?

Most of us would probably say that we couldn't imagine it and certainly wouldn't want to live in a world like that, but we do and so do our kids. The Internet is that world and our kids are growing up there. They are exploring, pushing limits, and taking risks on the Internet – all behaviors associated with gaining independence.

This road to independence gets complicated and often results in devastating consequences when teens use the Internet to explore sexual experiences. Today's teens are increasingly using the Internet to share sexually suggestive text messages and/or risqué photos and videos of themselves. This activity is occurring more and more over cell phones (known as 'sexting') – cell phones are mobile and can be used spontaneously.

The consequences of this behavior have been played out in recent headlines and range from child pornography charges, to registering as a sex offender, to taunting by peers and to suicide (see below for recent news stories).

The media blitz and ensuing consumer outcry over Facebook's recent attempt to change their Terms of Service indicating complete ownership of anything its users post even after they are long gone has, if nothing else, raised awareness of the privacy (or perceived privacy) of content we post on the Internet.

Whether you believe that Facebook really wanted to own and use everything that you ever posted at any time in the foreseeable future or if they were attempting to legally capture what actually happens to the content we post, or if you're somewhere in between, you should realize the potential consequences of posting and sharing content online.

As a social media user or a parent of a child who use social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo, here is the takeaway:

Be cautious of what you post and share with others. Once you share content - pictures, videos, stories, artwork or any other originally created work - with just one person online, you relinquish control over its potential distribution and use.

This is not a new phenomenon brought about by social networks, it has been around since the advent of e-mail, however, the volume of content has grown and become much more personal today. Social networks have become an extension of our lives – they're our family photo albums, our high school reunions, our workplace meeting ground, our venting platform and much more. So, the thought of this information circulating and used in a manner that we didn't intend can be disconcerting.

The Sony PlayStation 3 gaming console, or PS3 as it is commonly referred to, along with the PlayStation Portable, or PSP, Sony's handheld gaming device, offer features well beyond individual gaming and movie watching through the PlayStation Network. The PlayStation Network is an online service which opens the systems to features like multiplayer game playing, chat, and movie downloading just to name a few. To learn more about the features offered on these systems, visit: PS3 Features and
PSP Features.

Parental Controls

The PlayStation 3 (PS3) and the PlayStation Portable (PSP) come with parental controls options to help parents establish an age-appropriate gaming, communication, and multimedia experience for their children

PlayStation 3 (PS3)

Parents should be aware of three separate parental control settings:

1. Parental Controls for the PS3 Entertainment System: Parents can determine the age-appropriate level of games and movies that can be played locally, without use of the PlayStation Network. Game and movie settings are based on number-based levels so, when determining the appropriate setting for your children, play close attention to the level you select as they do not directly correspond to ratings established by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board or the Motion Picture Association of America.

2. Parental Controls for the PS3 Internet Browser: Parents can block access to the Internet browser, but it is an all or nothing option. There is no filter option and individual Web sites cannot be blocked.

3. Parental Controls for the PlayStation Network: Parents can create a Master (18+) account and then setup sub accounts for their children. Parental control settings can be established for each sub account to control access to content based on age, restrict audio and video chat capabilities (sub accounts can still send and receive text messages), and set monthly spending limits at the PlayStation store for the purchase of games, game add-ons, and movies.

These are great links to learn more about the PS3's parental control features:

PS3 Parental Controls
Knowledge Center | Support | Playstation.com

Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite (a redesign of the original DS) are handheld gaming devices that, in addition to individual game play, offer multiplayer online gaming and chat through a wireless local area network (LAN) or over Nintendo's Wi-Fi service.

Online Gaming (via Nintendo Wi-Fi)
Nintendo DS and DS Lite have over 60 games that can be played online using the Nintendo Wi-Fi service.
To play online with others, users need to exchange friend codes, unique twelve digit numbers generated by playing Internet-enabled games. Each Internet-enabled game generates a different friend code. To become "friends" and play online, users must manually exchange friend codes. Often times, users publically post their friend codes online in message boards and blog posts to find others to play against.

Multiplayer Gaming (via LAN)
Nintendo DS and DS Lite enable users to play multiplayer games with other DS users that are within 65 feet of them using a LAN.

PictoChat
PictoChat is a picture drawing and text chat application built into Nintendo DS and DS Lite that utilizes a LAN. PictoChat enables users to send picture drawings and text messages to other DS users within approximately 65 feet of each other. There is no requirement to exchange friend codes to communicate using PictoChat.

Nintendo Browser
Nintendo offers web browser applications for both the Nintendo DS and DS Lite that can be purchased separately. Web filtering technology has been integrated into the browser that provides parents with the option of blocking inappropriate content. You can learn more about the browser including the filtering technology by visiting: http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/dslite/browser.jsp.

Beyond the filtering technology in the optional web browser, the Nintendo DS and DS Lite have no built-in parental controls and parents should consider the following:
- Parental oversight is needed to ensure age appropriate game play and communication.
- Communication on the DS and DS Lite is not private.
- Parents should share the same general online safety tips with their children that they would for Internets chat environments including no sharing of personal information and no speaking to people they do not know.

To learn more about what Nintendo suggests to parents, visit: http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/ds/dsprivacy.jsp.

The Nintendo Wii video game console can be connected to the Internet for access to a variety of features and content such as multiplayer gaming, online communication including the exchange of user created content, news, weather, game downloads, and web browsing.

News, weather, multiplayer gaming and online communication are free using Nintendo Wi-Fi. To play online and interact with others, Wii users must manually exchange friend codes generated by playing Internet-enabled games. The use of friend codes doesn't always ensure your children are playing with someone they know because codes are often posted publically to message boards and blogs by users looking for other game players.

In addition to the free features, users have the option of purchasing video games for download as well as Nintendo's Web browser for Internet surfing. These purchases are made using Wii Points which can be bought at retails stores or online. To learn more about the purchasing and use if Wii Points visit: http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/wii/en_na/channelsShop.jsp.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 offers game playing and movie watching. It also offers Xbox Live, an optional, subscription based service offering online multiplayer gaming, voice, text and video chat, and multimedia downloads such as games, movies, and TV shows.

Xbox 360 offers parental controls called Family Settings to help control the types of games and movies that your children can play or view based on their industry content ratings. They also provide settings to control Xbox live. The following highlights the Family Settings for the Xbox.

Game Ratings
The default for video settings on the Xbox 360 is "Allow All Games" which allows users to play Early Childhood (EC), Everyone (E), Everyone 10+ (E10+), Teen (T) and Mature (M) games. Xbox does not support Adult (AO) games. You can change the Game Ratings setting to the ESRB rating you determine is appropriate for your children.

Video Ratings
The Video Rating option in the Family Settings has four categories: "Movie Ratings," "TV Ratings," "Explicit Video," and "Unrated Video." The movie and TV settings are based on industry ratings and are defaulted to allow all rated movies and shows which gives users access to R-rated movies and mature TV programs; however you can change this setting to reflect what is age-appropriate for your children. Explicit and unrated videos are also set by default to allow these types of videos, but you have the ability to block access to them.

Xbox Live
The default setting for Xbox Live is to allow access. If you decide to block access, there is no ability to connect to Xbox Live to interact or download content. If you decide to allow access, there are additional settings that you need to be aware of and set including access to online games, text and voice chat, as well as video chat.

Video gaming can be an enjoyable and entertaining experience for the whole family and there are many games to choose as well as consoles. Like other forms of entertainment there are age-appropriate considerations for both the content of the video game and the functionality offered within the video game console.

Video Games

If you are considering purchasing a video game, make certain that you take a look at the rating. All video and computer games are rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (or ESRB). The ESRB is a non-profit, self-regulatory body that independently assigns computer and video game content ratings along with enforcing advertising guidelines and helping to ensure responsible privacy practices for the interactive entertainment software industry.

ESRB ratings have two components, the rating symbol and the content descriptor. The rating symbol gives guidance on age-appropriateness of the game and is found on the front of the video game package. There are 6 age ratings:

- Early Childhood ("EC") – Recommended for ages 3 and older
- Everyone ("E") – Recommended for ages 6 and older
- Everyone 10 Plus ("E10+") – Recommended for ages 10 and older
- Teen ("T") – Recommended for ages 13 and older
- Mature ("M") – Recommended for ages 17 and older
- Adults Only (Adults Only) – Only Ages 18+

Content descriptors provide context for the age rating and are located on the back of the video game package. There are 30 content descriptors in total ranging from alcohol references, to violence, sexual themes, simulated gambling, and tobacco. For a full explanation of ESRB ratings and descriptors, visit http://www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_guide.jsp.

The ESRB also provides a helpful search tool on their homepage so you can easily find the ESRB rating for a game. The tool allows you to search by title, rating, content descriptor, publisher and platform and can be found by visiting: http://www.esrb.org/index-js.jsp. SafetyClicks also provides the ESRB rating tool on our home page for your convenience.

How do we parent our kids online? It's an important question as our kids seem to increasingly spend more time interacting in the online world than they do in the offline world. In fact, I am probably dating myself by distinguishing between 'online' and 'offline' when, for teens, there has been a convergence of these worlds. Teens don't often distinguish between online and offline, but go about their daily lives communicating seamlessly. It is more about interacting than how they interact.

So, where do we start? It can seem a bit overwhelming when you take a broad look at how our kids can get online – computers, mobile phones, gaming devices, PDAs, and some MP3 players – each posing potential risks; and, what they can do while they're online. (See our article on "Getting a Handle on Devices" for more information.)

My recommendation is to break it down and start with the 3 E's:

Engage

Engage in discussions with your kids about their online activity. Learn about how they're getting online and what they like to do while online. It is important to keep the dialogue going because the Internet and technology are constantly evolving – what is in today will be out tomorrow

Your Online Persona Can Help or Hinder College and Work Prospects

Imagine this: You've spent your high school years taking the most challenging course work offered, juggling multiple extracurricular activities and preparing for and excelling in your SAT's − all with the hopes of getting into your dream college. But ultimately you are denied entry for something you had never considered would become a factor: the content posted on your social networking profile.

This can and does happen. Colleges and universities are turning to social networking sites to learn more about their applicants. A recent survey conducted by Kaplan of 320 admissions officers from the nation's top colleges and universities revealed that one out of ten had used an applicant's social networking site in making the admissions decision. The survey found the social networking site could either benefit or harm the applicant.

Specifically:

? 25% of those who reported viewing applicants' sites said that these viewings had a positive impact on their evaluation; while,

? 38% reported that the applicants' social networking sites had a negative impact on their admissions evaluation.

(Read more about the study in the Kaplan press release.)

Content that had negative impact on the admissions decision included party pictures, underage drinking, reckless behavior, and fighting.

Privacy settings allow users to determine who can see their profile, or portions thereof, on social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, and Bebo. They are powerful tools in helping to protect your teen's information, including blog entries, videos and pictures.

Most social networking sites offer a default privacy setting. Younger users are typically defaulted to private whereas adults are defaulted to public. The default setting helps protect users who may not fully understand the risks of sharing information online with people they don't know. On some sites, users who are changing their default setting from private to public are presented with safety messaging alerting them to the risks of making their profile public. This messaging helps them to make an informed decision.

'Officers say man met teen girls' and 'Facebook sex cruiser's 450 underage friends could land him in jail'

We've all seen headlines like these time and time again. They are alarming, especially to parents whose children have made the Internet part of their daily lives.

However, we need to keep things in perspective. Remember, the good clearly outweighs the bad on the Internet. Children and adults now have nearly unlimited access to information, resources and, in turn, to opportunity. It's brought people together regardless of physical proximity and enhanced their ability to communicate and share, and it's enhanced our ability to teach as well as learn. It's used in classrooms, for homework purposes and even to take classes.

Yes, there are challenges. The traditional ills of society do not simply vanish on the Internet. Sadly, the world has always known con artists, predators and other bad characters. Whether online or offline, we have to educate ourselves and our families to the good, to the bad, and how to protect ourselves as we live our daily lives.

Chat rooms are a popular way of communicating on the Internet, especially for young people. Chat rooms provide an opportunity for people all over the world to come together and chat on a variety of topics in real-time. Typically, these chat rooms are text-based and chatters are identified by user IDs or screen names (e.g., In2CheerForFun2), and they can "talk" to each other by simply typing in what they want to say. Whatever they type appears on the screen to everyone who is participating in the chat room.

There are chat experiences available for kids who have just learned to read and write to much older teens getting ready to graduate from high school. There are also chat rooms for adults. The different chat experiences offer different levels of user protection and are outlined here:

Predefined Chat
Chatters are limited to chatting with a predefined list of messages and responses.

Social networking has brought about a concept known as 'friending' which describes the act of making friends online through sites such as Bebo, MySpace and Facebook. It's easy - all you have to do is send a request asking someone to be a friend. Teens typically start with sending requests to their own friends and then their friends' friends. Through 'friending' teens can have an ever expanding list of friends. In fact, the number of friends one has online is often equated to their online popularity and can often reach into the hundreds.