Community Conversation: Internet Safety
Originally broadcast September 8, 2009 on WSKG Radio
Listen to the program now
in streaming audio (59 minutes):
With the beginning of the school year, we turn our attention to online interaction. The school-age generation is growing up communicating with friends and others via the web, and on this Community Conversation we take a look at the benefits and potential dangers. How do we educate ourselves and our young people to be savvy web users, and what should we be concerned about? WSKG's Kathleen Cook hosts the discussion Tuesday September 8th at 7pm.
Panelists for this program are:
Sahara Byrne; Assistant Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Cornell University.
Her research examines strategies that parents, schools, and communities use to protect children and teens from negative effects of the media, focusing on how kids often resist strategies intended to protect them.
Mary E. Muscari, PhD, CPNP, APRN-BCAssociate Professor, Director of the O'Connor Office for Rural Studies Decker School of Nursing Binghamton.Dr. Muscari has done extensive work with juvenile offender and internet crimes against children.
Jim Thompson; Supervising Analyst for the Computer Analysis and Technical Services Unit (CAT) with Broome County Security. He is on the Southern Tier Cyber Predator Task Force, and regularly visits highschools to provide eduction regarding the internet to parents of incoming freshman.
We welcome your calls and e-mails. LIVE Tuesday September 8th at 7pm.
To join in this COMMUNITY CONVERSATION, call 1-888/359-9754 or post a question or comment to CommunityConversation@WSKG.ORG
Tips from the Crime Victims Assistance Center:
Online Safety Rules
1. Never put anything on the internet that you wouldn't want the whole world to see.
In a chat room, a blog, a message board or web-site. Even when you are talking to a friend on instant messenger. The information on the internet is open for anyone in the public to see.
2. Talk with your parents about rules and expectations for going online.
It's not giving up your privacy, it's keeping yourself safe. Ask them when, for how long, and what you're allowed to do, if they don't already know. You may also want to show them some things available online that they may not know about!
3. Never, EVER, get together with someone you met online.
You may think that you know this person better than you have ever known anyone. The fact is, you have no way of knowing whether or not that person is telling the truth! If you do feel like it necessary to meet this person discuss it with your parents, and NEVER go alone. It is also important that you meet in a public place like the mall or a popular coffee shop.
4. Keep your identity private.
Always avoid giving out your full name, school, or any other identifying information about yourself (or your family and friends) in a chat room or any public forum. They could use just this small amount of information to victimize you or your family.
5. Don't respond to ANYTHING that makes you uncomfortable.
This could mean spam mail that looks suspicious, a nasty comment on instant messenger, or a rude posting on a forum. Tell a trusted adult what is going on. Keep yourself safe.
Links to resources and information are located in the right column of this page
COMMUNITY CONVERSATION is a recipient of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
My Source Community Impact Award for Engagement
