“Kids' Internet Safety Expert Katie LeClerc Greer Asks: 'Are The Kids All Right -- On Social Networks?'” plus 2 more |
- Kids' Internet Safety Expert Katie LeClerc Greer Asks: 'Are The Kids All Right -- On Social Networks?'
- Experts: Keep close eye on kids who play online games
- Violent Video Games: Putting kids on media diet
| Posted: 11 Feb 2011 05:12 AM PST Press Release Source: WhatsWhat.me (Beta) On Friday February 11, 2011, 8:12 am EST WALTHAM, Mass., Feb. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kids' Internet Safety Expert Katie LeClerc Greer Asks: "Are the kids all right -- on social networks?" With the increasing popularity of online social networks where kids can play games, communicate with friends and create profiles, parents have many questions about what's appropriate and at what age. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) applies to any Website collecting information from kids under the age of 13, and many popular social networks were not intended for children. One COPPA-compliant, new kids' social network for 7-13-year-olds -- WhatsWhat.me (Beta) (www.whatswhat.me) – takes a unique approach to safety, security and cyberbullying with a combination of patent-pending facial recognition technologies, human moderation and kid-friendly features to create a "kids-only" community that teaches positive online behavior. And, for parents who want to "get smart" about cybersafety and their kids, the WhatsWhat.me Parent Resource Center (www.whatswhat.me/parents) provides expert advice, news and Internet safety tips for children. [To learn more about WhatsWhat.me (Beta) and the Parent Resource Center, obtain the downloadable press kit with FAQs and screenshots, and watch the video, etc., go to: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/whatswhat/48109/ ] It's becoming increasingly important for children to learn how to behave online, especially when one hears daily about cyberbullying incidents and the amount of time kids are online:
Director of Internet Safety and law enforcement expert at www.whatswhat.me, Katie LeClerc Greer says, "Parents and kids need to know the basic rules when it comes to social networking. As specifically stated in the terms of service on many popular social networks, kids under the age of 13 are not allowed; yet, when I meet with 'tweens across the U.S., many of them are on these sites, unbeknownst to their parents. Because social networking is so popular, it's imperative for both kids and parents to have a safe, secure, age-appropriate solution for kids, as social networks are here to stay." WhatsWhat.me (Beta): Safe, Secure, "Kids-only"& No Cyberbullying Allowed Ms. Greer emphasizes in her "Internet/Technology Safety for Kids" seminars with parents across the U.S., education is key for both parents and children regarding teaching positive online behavior. Finding a kids-only social network to help kids learn and practice in a safe, secure environment helps prepare kids for the digital world in which they live. Following are the unique, patent-pending technologies that make WhatsWhat.me (Beta) – a safe, secure and educational option:
Finally ... Parents Can "Just Say Yes": Parent of "tweens," founder and CEO of WhatsWhat.me (Beta) Vincent Cannistraro says, "From personal experience, I know how great it is to say, 'Yes!' finally to kids about social networking. We invite parents to explore WhatsWhat.me (Beta), our Parent Resource Center, watch our video, engage in the important discussion about kids and Internet safety, and 'Ask the Expert' Katie LeClerc Greer any questions they may have." In summing up the WhatsWhat.me mission, Mr. Cannistraro stated, "We believe that today's youth will benefit from being prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the digital world. The entire WhatsWhat.me (Beta) team is dedicated to teaching children how to make intelligent, safe and appropriate choices every time they go online. Our site fosters an age-appropriate, "no-bullying allowed" community while teaching positive online behavior and related life skills." About Director of Internet Safety, Katie LeClerc Greer: Katie is a pioneer in children's cybersafety and travels the country educating students, parents, the media, communities, and law enforcement officials. She served as the Director of Internet Safety at the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, worked as an Intelligence Analyst with the Massachusetts State Police, holds a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice and is currently working toward a Master's in Digital Investigations. About WhatsWhat.me (Beta): WhatsWhat.me (Beta) is a "kids-only" Website www.whatswhat.me that provides safe, secure social networking for kids ages 7 to 13 ("tweens") and utilizes patent-pending facial recognition technologies, moderation and kid-friendly features. WhatsWhat.me (Beta) is compliant with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and fosters an age-appropriate, "no-bullying allowed" community while teaching positive online behavior, Internet safety and related life skills. For parents, WhatsWhat.me (Beta) offers its Parent Resource Center www.whatswhat.me/parents providing expert advice, news and information on cybersafety for children. WhatsWhat.me (Beta) Customer Service: 1-888-520-3211. For more information, please go to: www.whatswhat.me Media Contact: Jeanie Ryan at Jeanie@whatswhat.me or 603-235-5266. Follow Yahoo! Finance on ; become a fan on Facebook. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Experts: Keep close eye on kids who play online games Posted: 11 Feb 2011 04:12 AM PST  RuneScape boasts on its website that it is the "world's most popular free MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game)." There are currently 10 million people every month who sit down at their computers, sign on to their accounts and step into a fantasy world called Gielinor, "where wizards, monsters and magic await." But until this week, many people had never heard of RuneScape, "The World's Most popular Free MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game)," according to its website. That is, until Fitchburg resident John Phillips was brought into the national spotlight after he allegedly used RuneScape to meet a 13-year-old girl. Police say he later drove out to Michigan and had sex with her on three occasions last year. John Shehan, of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said parents are often aware of the dangers of online social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. But, "another area that they do need to consider is online video games," Shehan said, adding they have become more popular in recent years. Chris Walsh, owner of Whiz Store in Westboro,which sells and hosts face-to-face role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons, said people get into role-playing games because they enjoy the adventure. "Role-playing game people are scripting a movie in their heads -- and they're the heroes," Walsh said. Walsh's store does not deal directly with video games, but he said many of his customers play them. Adults often look to role-playing games to work strategy and build fantasy kingdoms. In role-playing video games, kingdom building is not a big part, Walsh said.Online role-playing games are geared more to younger kids, as the adventures are less cerebral and more about using characters to fight, Walsh said. This makes MMORPGs like RuneScape a breeding ground for young kids. The danger is that people who have a sexual interest in children also migrate to places they know children are going to be, Shehan said. In the game RuneScape, in the fantasy world of Gielnor, Phillips allegedly "married" a 13-year-old girl from Detroit. The RuneScape website has some interesting guidelines for its users to keep them safe. For example, in a Q&A it reads: "Q: Is it OK to ask for a boyfriend or a girlfriend in the games? A: No, that is solicitation and it is not allowed." Furthermore the website reads: "Please remember that you do not know any of these people in real life. This is not to say that they are not as nice in real life as they act in game -- they most likely are -- but it's sensible to keep a safe distance from people you only know online." Despite these rules, Phillips was still allegedly able to "wed" his 13-year-old bride and allegedly had sex with her on several occasions. Since 1998, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has had 51,000 reports of online enticement of children. According to Shehan, who handles reports nationally, the main problem is when children meet people on the video games and carry their relationships onto e-mail or Facebook sites. "You're on there to game, not to meet people," Shehan said. The most efficient way to avoid this is by having parents who are well-educated about the dangers of online game-playing, Shehan said. As a parent, your goal should be to know what you're talking about and really be able to talk to your kids because they need to be educated, he said. Through education, parents need to keep an open line of communication so their kids feel comfortable talking to them if something happens to them online, he said. "If they think that they're going to get grounded or you're going to take the modem with you to work, they're not going to talk," Shehan said. By and large, Shehan feels online gaming is safe, but it comes down to knowing how to protect yourself or your children. For more information on how to protect your child online, got to www.netsmartz411.org or call 1-888-NETS-411. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Violent Video Games: Putting kids on media diet Posted: 10 Feb 2011 08:09 PM PST The violence of first person video war games could have an impact on your child. "So if the kids, the teenagers are playing lots of video games it is likely that those cells and the neuro connections that related to violence or accepting the violence will get strengthened in their brains," said U.H. behavioral psychologist, Yiyuan Xu. With sales of more than a billion dollars Call of Duty Black Ops is a worldwide sensation. University of Hawaii behavioral psychologist Yiyuan Xu says parents need to know just how often their children are playing. He suggests placing kids on a media diet by writing down which games a child plays and how often. "Typically parents do not know how much time their kids spend on playing video games and they do not know the content of the games," said Xu. Single mom Luciana Bishay has already placed her son on a media diet by watching closely how often he plays Black Ops. "There's definitely an effect there that it puts on them and so I think it's very important for parents to really you know watch that closely," said Bishay. Also observe who your kids are playing with. Many games have an online feature that allows kids to play with others while speaking and listening through a headset. "I always ask him, 'Who you're playing with? Is it an adult? Is it a friend from school? Don't play with people you don't know,' " said Bishay. A 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation study found 8 to18-year-olds devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes to all types of media entertainment every day. Only 30 percent of the young people surveyed said they have rules on how much time they can spend playing video games. And while the study cannot establish a cause and effect relationship between media use and grades, about half of heavy media users said they get fair or poor grades compared to only about a quarter of light users. "There are kids who can manage both, who can balance their entertainment and learning but there are kids who can not and parents need to pay attention to those kids," said Xu. He says parents of kids who play violent video games should observe how well their kids concentrate on homework and develop an ongoing dialogue with teachers. "Checking frequently with school teachers whether there's a behavioral change, whether there's aggressive tendencies and that needs attention from the parent," said Xu. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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