Archive for June, 2010
Social Networking: Pro-Eating Disorder Websites Flood the Internet
A disturbing trend has been sweeping the Internet, and it could be deadly for your children. Children’s Hospital Boston alerted us about a crop of websites and blogs that actually promote eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. These “pro-ana” and “pro-mia” (as they are nicknamed) sites declare eating disorders as simply lifestyle choices, and offer [...]
Cyberbullying: Dr. Phil Takes On Cyberbullying
Last week, Capitol Hill had a familiar face visiting. Popular daytime talk show host, Dr. Phil McGraw, spoke to the House Education subcommittee about the dangers and risks associated with cyberbullying. After nicknaming the Internet the “Wild, Wild, Web,” Dr. Phil told the subcommittee that 42% of kids say they’ve been bullied online, and 35% [...]
Cyber-Bullying: Should Schools Intervene?
One in five middle-school students have been affected by cyberbullying, according to a 2010 study by the Cyberbullying Research Center, but the question these days is whether or not school administrators should get involved. Although 44 states have bullying laws, less than half of those offer advice on whether schools may get involved in cyberbullying [...]
Social Networks: Facebook Joins Forces with the National PTA
This month, Facebook announced its partnership with the National Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) in an effort to broaden its reach about online safety. Up until now, the National PTA has not addressed online safety issues, but the two parties hope to work on reducing cyberbullying and other social networking dangers to children and teens. [...]
SafetyWeb at Rachel’s Challenge Summit
This week, SafetyWeb is a proud sponsor of Rachel’s Challenge Summit, being held from June 23-26 at the Denver Marriott Tech Center in Denver, Colorado. Rachel Joy Scott was the first student to be killed during the Columbine High School tragedy in 1999. Following the event, her mourning family discovered several of Rachel’s journals in [...]
Text Messages: Is Your Child A Victim of Textual Harassment?
Here’s a new term you’re certain to hear more about: “Textual Harassment.” It refers to incessant texting, sometimes to the point of hundreds of text messages a day. In certain cases, textual harassment could be considered cyber-bullying, and there’s a chance that sexting (exchanging sexually charged photos, or sexually charged text messages) may be occurring [...]
Internet Safety: Kids Hide Online Activity from Parents
McAfee, Inc. announced today the results of an Internet safety survey that Harris Interactive conducted in May on their behalf. According to the study of 955 teenagers ages 13-17, 69% have updated their status on social networking sites to include their physical location. 87% of teens go online somewhere other than their home, and 30% [...]
Internet Safety: Protecting Your Kids from Violent Websites
As parents, we try to control what television shows and movies our children watch, and what video games they play. But, what about the websites they view? Violent websites are scattered throughout the Internet and can easily be found with a single search query. From YouTube videos to bomb-making sites, our kids have access to [...]
Mobile Phones: Texting Like Heroin for Teens
Your teenager may balk at the suggestion that texting can be compared to heroin addiction, but new research shows there’s some truth to the idea. Technology Addiction Specialists like, Dr. Hilarie Cash of the reSTART Internet Addiction Recovery Program in Washington, are seeing texting addiction more and more in patients, and say that obsessive texting [...]
Parenting: How Young is Too Young For a Cell Phone?
Today’s dads (and moms) struggle with a common problem: What age is appropriate for children to have cell phones? 58% of 12-year-olds and 73% of 13-year-olds now have cell phones, according to a study that the Pew Internet and American Life Project conducted in April. Although parents usually purchase their child a phone for safety reasons, [...]
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