Any
new environment, whether it be the moon, a new disease,
a continent, or cyberspace, presents unforeseen benefits
and dangers that must be identified and dealt with. Cyberspace
has opened opportunities for knowledge and communication
that are astounding. For many children who have grown up
with this technology, interactive communications, such as
instant messaging, are now their social lifeline and they
are very dependent on these technologies.
The
risks are numerous and some are dark. However, with proper
training and motivation our children can make informed and
wise choices. Our objective is to help them realize the
things they do naively that put them at risk. In addition,
our children should be taught what to do if they find themselves
in an uncomfortable or frightening situation.
This
section describes some of the general concerns, and the
specific risks associated with those areas of concern.
Deceptions
that lure and change our children's perceptions and thinking,
including dangerous or misleading information, fantasy
and role playing, scams and hoaxes, and sexually explicit
material
Behavior
changes such as addiction, cheating, cyberbullying, disinhibition,
accessing inappropriate products (drugs, alcohol, guns,
cigarettes)
Risks
that put our children's, and sometimes our own, safety
in jeopardy, including enticement and loss of privacy
Illegal
behaviors that our children may commit, or that may be
committed against our families, including hacking, malware
creation or distribution, copyright infringement, Identity
theft
Computer
security issues, such as malware and hacking
