Internet Safety

The article I chose to read for my article of choice was titled "I have a Question" by William C. Porter. Th video resources I watched mainly dealt with cyberbullying and internet predators. I watched all the videos on the pbs website that dealt with teenagers and the internet, as well the animated video developed by the BYU animation department and most videos on the UEN website, and Katie's story. The videos were very informative and really made me aware of all the different resources teenagers and kids have to do harm to each other or themselves.
I think that it is important when dealing with kids to not be to pushy. You want to be careful and not boss them around, otherwise they will push back. By being too controlling, you may be breaking the communication line between you as the adult and the child/adolescent. But you also have to be so aware of what is going on in their lives and what they are really doing on the computer. There are so many big secrets that they may not be sharing with you, things that you need to know. It is important to keep that communication line open, and be firm, but not controlling.
I discussed internet safety with an older parent. He knew about internet predators and porn websites and stuff like that, but he did not know much about cyberbullying or eating disorder sites. I think some things that surprised him was one that most teenagers ignore possible predators on the internet. They know not to give out their personal information. It is the minority that find themselves in such dangerous situations. The eating disorder sites really surprised him. We discussed how most adolescents who fall into that category are those who are depressed or have a low self esteem. They are more easily flattered by the compliments predators give. It was a good and enlightening conversation. He had no clue that sites supporting such a bad habit/disease were out there. We also discussed what the prophet and apostles had to say about internet safety and the tips they give. I think that this adult is now more aware of what is out there. I think the missing game is an excellent resource and hope that perhaps he would think about using it with his family, before a relationship is even created over the internet.