NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article, January 2008
Point Smart Click Safe
By Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director;
Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont, TX; Radio & TV Show Host

Iwilsker@apcug.net
(click to email author)


WEBSITES:
http://www.pointsmartclicksafe.org

You may have seen the public service advertisements on television for “Point Smart Click Safe”, which encourage child safety on the internet. Point Smart Click Safe (PSCS) is a joint operation funded primarily by the cable TV industry, along with a group of industry partners including such organizations as the National PTA, the Internet Keep Safe Coalition, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and several other educational and library organizations.

The main page of PSCS is an interactive flash video with several options. The video game image links to the list of commercial and non-profit partners who sponsor PSCS. The cellular phone image links to a page that provides organizational and contact information for the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, and explains that the PSCS program is a component of the “Cable Puts You in Control” initiative to “… educate parents about online safety and appropriate use of the internet by their children.”

The notebook computer image on the main page links to the “Cable Industry’s Pledge”, which says in part, “… to provide parental controls, education about online safety and digital media literacy, and provide assistance to law enforcement to stop online threats and predation.”

The MP3 player displayed links to several cute and short videos that both children and parents should view and discuss together. The videos are also freely downloadable in MP3 format for future viewing. The opening video is a discussion between two cute young girls discussing a pledge never to meet with anyone they chatted with online without first checking with parents or guardian, and if they do meet with someone they met online with parents’ consent, the parents must come along, and they must meet in a public place. The second video is a meeting between a parent and a teacher about using the internet as a source of information, warning about some of the material on the net, with a closing statement, “Teach your kids to think before they use it.” Another video appears to be of two teenage girls being approached online by a possible predator, with the warning, “be smart - know how to react” if a potential pedophile tries to acquire a victim. Many children are using social networking websites and blogs to post information and comments which can be read by anyone; one of the videos explains why parents must be involved in and aware of their children’s’ internet activities. Another video mentions why it is absolutely necessary to keep your true identity private, otherwise unscrupulous individuals may use that information for nefarious purposes. The final short video available explains the necessity if implementing parental controls on the computer, either at the operating system level (such as provided by most versions of Vista), some third party software (including some internet security suites), or using the parental controls offered by many internet service providers (ISP’s).

Clicking on the virtual book image “Control Educational Choice” opens an interactive guidebook on keeping your family safe on the web. Tabs on the top edge of the book will open pages on Control, Education, and Choice. Each of the three sections interactively incorporates one of the videos discussed previously. In the section on “Control” are three tabbed subsections on “Parental Controls”, “10 Tips for Parents”, and “Internet safety resources”. The section on Parental Controls discusses the software and system resources which should be implemented if there are children in the house with the computer. One frightening statistic presented on the page when clicking on the “Did you know” icon, states, “A new study finds that more than four in ten teenagers have seen online pornography – but two-thirds of them saw it unintentionally.” There are many traps on the internet which can unwittingly lead the user to unintended hard-core pornography sites. The implementation of proper parental control resources can greatly reduce this probability.

The tab “10 Tips for parents” opens a series of virtual book pages which explain in detail what parents should do to implement internet safety and security. They include: learn about parental controls; ask an expert; check what rules your child’s school uses; stay informed; be a teacher and a role model; develop rules for behavior with your child; set time limits; stay involved; ask questions, show that you are interested; and make age appropriate choices. Following the “10 Tips” is a section of links on internet safety resources which can provide with parent with a wealth of other relevant and reliable information.

The “Education” section of the virtual book explains how the parent, school, and library can interact to promote child safety while online. Topics covered include analyzing a website, social networking, concepts and questions, and other vital and useful information. The “Choice” section covers such timely topics as cyber ethics, cyber bullying, hacking, plagiarism, and piracy and copyright issues. Cyber bullying has become a common threat to children on the internet. It is intimidation through electronic sources, such as the internet, cell phone, email, websites, and other electronic means of communication. Information and resources are described to provide the parent and child with what they need to know to prevent or deal with the issue. Children need to know about the morality and risks of plagiarism, which is seen by the educational community as a form of cheating, and as such is dealt with harshly by many educational institutions. Piracy and copyright issues are well discussed, informing the user about the legal and moral issues involved with the downloading of copyrighted intellectual property, such as music. The “Did you know” icon on the copyright and piracy page states that, “50+% of US college students admit to downloading music and movies illegally. Actions like these may be civilly and criminally prosecuted, and have occurred at many schools and college campuses; the typical settlement requested by the recording industry has been in the realm of $10,000, but much higher amounts have been awarded by the courts for downloading and distributing pirated music and videos. Software companies, such as Microsoft, actively pursue and prosecute pirates who download and use illicit copies of their software. Students and parents should be aware of the risks, and prevent such illegal behavior on the internet.

The website http://www.pointsmartclicksafe.org should be reviewed by all parents who have computers, internet access, and children in the household. It is an excellent resource for both parents and children on the safe and proper use of the internet. As has been said before in this column, children are our most precious resource, and we need to protect them.

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