Kids and Internet Safety, Part 2

Today my  friend Linda Tomczak continues with part two of her three-part series on keeping kids safe on the Internet.Internet safety videos for children and teensIdeally, watch these videos with your kids and discuss Internet use and safetyAges 5-10www.netsmartzkids.org/NetSmartzKidsCartoon characters teach kids how to be safe when using the InternetAges 8–12www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgCNGvL0g1g“Internet Safety - Newsround Caught In The Web”Well-designed British video designed for kids: shows how easy it is to be tricked by an Internet predator, what to do about bullying, and how addicting gaming can be (not traumatizing)www.nsteens.orgVideos, quizzes, games, and activities geared toward tweens teach Internet safety and wise practicesAges 8–17www.netsmartz.org/TeensTalkBackInterviews with teens regarding a selection of Internet-related topicsAges 11–17www.netsmartz.org/RealLifeStoriesStories depicting wise and unwise choices teens can make when online; good discussion starters Dangerous phone apps for kidsWhisperAllows users to post secrets anonymously and chat with other users in your geographic areaAnonymity allows predators use it to gain kids’ trustPredators live near potential victims; makes it easier to lure kids to meet them in personYikYakUsers are anonymous and don’t create a profile or account, but can post comments that are accessible to the nearest 500 people (within a 1–5 mile radius).A psychiatrist labeled this the most dangerous app he’d ever seen because it can turn a school into a virtual chat room where everyone can post his or her comments anonymouslyCruel messages can immediately be seen by all users in a specific geographic areaThe app allows students to slander teachers, staff, and other students anonymouslyMany schools have now banned smart phones from campus because of this appKikMost preferred app by predatorsParents have no record of communication between child and who they’re talking to since it bypasses phone’s SMS textingDoes not require any personal information to set up account, so no way to track predators; they can even create their own phone numberPredators can send kids a friend requestFrequently used for bullyingUsers can also send sexually explicit photos, which predators often requestSimilar apps: Viber, WhatsApp, TextNow, TextfreeSnapchatAllows user to take and send images which are supposed to disappear after a brief timePromotes sexting, as kids think the photos will not remain, but images can be kept by using screen captureUsed by pornographers and predators to solicit imagesImages can then be used to blackmail children into sending more imagesSimilar apps: Poke, Wire, WickrVineAllows users to watch and post six-second videos; not all videos posted are dangerous, but porn videos are included and can be searched forExposes teens and kids to pornography and allows them to view and send inappropriate videosPedophiles viewing posted videos try to connect with children/teens posting them, since videos may contain items that reveal a child’s location, or contain embedded location dataTinderUsers post pictures and scroll through the images of other users. When they think someone is attractive they can “flag” the image. If that person has also “flagged” them in return, the app allows you to contact them.Primarily used for hooking upSimilar apps: Skout, Pure, Blendr, Down (formerly Bang with Friends, a Facebook app), Meetme (18+, but no age verification so kids who bypass and download app will receive explicit images and content from adults)ChatRoulette and OmegleAllows users to video chat with strangersSavvy users can bypass the usercam feature and chat using a fake imageLike all chat-type apps, allows children to develop a trusting relationship with a total strangerAdult site; must be 18 or over but no way of verifying ageKids are certain to be sent sexually explicit imagesPoofHides other apps on your phoneSelect which apps you wish to hide and their icons will no longer show up on your smartphone screenIf children have apps that they want to keep hidden from their parents, all they have to do is download this app and “poof,” their screen is clear of any questionable appsIf you see the Poof app on your child’s phone, you may want to ask them what they are hidingInstagramAll photos are set to public viewingAllows geotagging, so predators can locate those who post imagesOne teen was sex trafficked for over a year by someone who contacted her after she posted images on InstagramSpycalcVault to conceal photos, so kids can take and retain sexually explicit images and hide from parents9gagFunny posts, but not moderated so contains explicit content, references to drug use, objectionable material