I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.
As a tech blogger, every day I receive emails about products designed to make the internet safer for children. These emails are often filled with scary, but true stories. Not only are these emails eye-opening but as blogger, I feel I have a good grasp of the importance of internet safety and I’m always looking for good resources to share with others. That’s why I am excited to partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to share with you their Cyber Safe Futures website.
The site is wonderful because it is designed to help parents and guardians keep the children in their lives safe online. When you first visit the site there is a Cyber Survivor Challenge.
Answer seven questions and read the tips about cyber safety and then share your results on your social media sites to be entered to win an iPad Mini and a $500 Visa Gift Card to the Boys & Girls Club of your choice.
I took the quiz and was happy to see that I’m a Cyber Survivor. I watched the Cyberbullying video and was amazed to learn that 1 in 3 teens have been cyberbullied and only 7% of parents are concerned about cyberbullying. That is frightening and eye-opening. Even though my score on the quiz rated me a Cyber Survivor I have to admit I did not know these stats. It makes me even more aware of the importance of internet safety and thankful for sites like this that provide facts, tips, and resources.
Under the Cyberbullying tab there are helpful and important tips for parents about cyberbullying which sadly is far too rampant these days. The Mobile Smarts tab gives parents tips on mobile technology and cell phone use. The Social Networks tab offers advice for monitoring your child’s social network sites particularly Facebook. The Online Privacy tab includes tips about how to talk with your child about what is safe to share online and password security.
I like that there are downloadable discussion cards available to help start off conversations with your child. It may be tough for some parents to know where to begin these conversations and this site has done a wonderful job making it easier.
There is also a long list of resources on the site as well where you can learn more about various topics. There’s even a link to a game for kids and tweens as well as a poster and activities for parents of children ages 5-9 years old.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America have done a fantastic job with this the Cyber Safety Futures site and because June is Internet Safety Month it’s the perfect time to click over and check it out.
I’m so happy that organizations are getting involved in this issue. It’s an important one.
My son is 5 and so into electronics…I know I’m going to have to set ground rules when he gets older to keep him safe. The internet can be a scary place.
I took the quiz and am also a Cyber Survivor. Thanks for the info! And I have been hearing a lot about this on TV. Good to keep up on this info. regularly.
Technology is very scary for a parent – you never know who is out there
I remember being so protective of my daughter growing up and now it seams she is the one keeping me safe!
Thank you for the information I am worried about my kids the more internet savvy they become and the bad social media stories. Parenting is always scary.
I think it hard to monitor what the kids are doing online. I am lucky that my 17 year old deactivated her Facebook acct because someone tagged her in a picture & another kid wrote some things in the post that were inapppropriate. My 13 year old has no desire for a Facebook acct!
I think it is every parents responsibilty to be vigilant when it comes to the internet- after all they (kids) are going someplacee where you arent and you would at any otheer time have information.
It’s so hard these days to know what goes on, and you also have to consider when they’re on their friends’ computers.
I try to limit the time my son spends online and monitor the sites he visits
Thank you so much for this info! Am going to be passing this on.
I am definetly interested in internet safety. The internet can be so dangerous!
our kids aren’t on the internet too much yet, but these are great tips for us to think about for the future.
One of things I dislike most is spam mail. It is so important to monitor their emails. I know I get several inappropriate emails that I have no idea how they got my address..for medications, x rated material, even after I unsubscribe I get more.
We have made sure to talk to our kids about what our expectations are regarding their behavior on the internet. You always have to keep an eye on what they are doing online.
Bringing awareness to this topic is a must. I talk with my teenage son about things like this frequently. If he thinks something or someone if off, he lets me know right away!
As a teenager who was cyberbullied, I have come to realize that many parents do not realize the negative effects of cyberbullying and how easily it can occur. I wish my mom was informed earlier and unfortunately, many parents find out when it’s too late. Don’t be a bystander.
this is great you cant ever be to safe! just like janet said
You can never be too safe when it comes to kids and the internet. We will definitely have to set boundaries when my grandsons get older.
hard this when the kids do not alway understand that clicking and going to a page can be dangerous
great site thanks for introducing me to it Im gonna post in our schools monthly bulletin to help other parents GET Smart about internet safety.