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Teen Safety on the Internet More and more teenagers are logging on to the Internet every day. Although the Internet is a great source for research projects and other information, there are also dangers involved with surfing the Web. For example, a study conducted in 2000 found that 25 percent of kids 10 to 17 years of age received unwanted pornographic material.The Web allows you to be completely anonymous. Someone who says that he is a 15-year-old boy may actually be a 50-year-old man pretending to be a teen for inappropriate reasons. As a result, agreeing to meet in person with someone you met over the Internet is extremely dangerous, as this can result in sexual assault or even murder. How to Stay Safe on the Internet E-mail Safety Chat Rooms Assessing a Web Site Blogging How to Stay Safe on the Internet Never give out personal information, such as your name, home address or phone number, the name of your school, pictures, credit card numbers or the names of your parents without permission from your parents.Do not meet in person with someone you met online. Do not give out your password to anyone.In chat rooms, use a name that is not gender-specific so you are less likely to receive pornographic material or other forms of harassment. If you do receive pornographic material, report it to your local police department. Back to top E-mail Safety

Do not open links or files from people you do not know.Never respond to e-mails with pornographic or other inappropriate material.Do not respond to advertisements -- this confirms that you have a working e-mail account, and you will only receive more junk e-mail.

to help kids understand responsible online behavior such as securing their personal information, protecting their privacy and defending their peers against cyberbullying

“It’s never too early to talk to kids about safe online behavior, particularly when accessing social networks,”

“Using the Internet is an important life skill. As parents introduce new technology to their kids, this is another tool they can use to help their kids make good choices.”

In this digital age, bullying is no longer relegated to the schoolyard. Bullies can now attack in the place kids should feel the safest -- their homes. Instead of physically harming or verbally attacking their victims, cyberbullies use the Internet, cell phones and other technology to hurt, threaten and embarrass others. Because it is done online, the effect of cyberbullying is more far-reaching and enduring than bullying that occurs at school. Cyberbullies can victimize their targets in a variety of ways, including the following: Creating websites that make fun of or criticize another person Sending mean or threatening emails, instant messages or text messages Pretending to be someone else to trick their victim into revealing personal information Lying about their victim online Breaking into their victim's email or instant messages Posting unflattering or offensive pictures online, without permission Using websites to rate their peers In most instances, the victims of cyberbullying know their attackers. They are often classmates, friends or online acquaintances. One study showed that only 23 percent of victims were bullied by someone they didn't know.

11 Ways to Stay Safe Online & Protect Your Privacy By Nerissa Sardi on September 1, 2009 2:25 PM | No TrackBacks Nearly everyone is using the internet these days to find information or connect with others. But surfing the web can still sometimes feel like the Wild West. Despite technological advances to help reduce the risk of identity theft, becoming the victim of an internet scam or having your privacy invaded is a persistent threat. And, as a number of recent incidents involving social networking websites have shown us, it can even be fatal Keeping your guard up is essential to avoid trouble on the internet. Here are eleven tips from FindLaw.com to help you stay safe online: 1. Be careful who you give your information Avoid giving out personal information such as your name, address, telephone number or other personal information on websites until read and understand their privacy policy. For example, be on guard for online promotions or contests in which you may be asked to provide details about yourself. This information could be used to market to you in the future. Never give out your Social Security number or passwords online, unless you are certain the site is secure. 2. Know you're being watched Be careful of the e-mails you send and the websites you visit while at work. In most U.S. states, employees are exempt from protection by employers who may be monitoring e-mails and internet use while on the job. 3. Don't reply to spamEver get one of those strange, unexpected e-mails for real estate, weight loss, work-at-home or investment opportunities? Your best bet is to delete those e-mails without opening them. Never reply to these e-mails, even to request they remove your name from their lists. Replying will alert the sender that your e-mail is a "live" e-mail attached to an actual person.  4. Use secured websites Before you purchase a product or service online with a credit card, make sure the connection is secure or encrypted. Look for a small lock icon on the website, or look at the URL address line; a secure connection will begin with https:// ("s" for secured) instead of http:// 5. Beware of public wireless accessDon't send personal or confidential information when using public wireless connections in cafes and other public places. Fellow wireless users could potentially monitor what you are doing only a few feet away. 6. Think before you post Avoid revealing personal information or photos on websites such as Facebook, MySpace or SecondLife. Personal or embarrassing information and images can haunt you in years to come like when you are applying for college or a new job. If it's on the internet, it's available for a potential employer, your school, a future or current spouse, your mother or grandmother to find it. 7. Don't trust your friends A number of recent incidents involving "sexting" demonstrate, sending photos of yourself in the nude or in compromising positions could not only be extremely embarrassing when a partner or ex-partner starts to share those photos with his or her friends, but it also could be illegal. 8. Beware of classified listing meet-upsWhen using websites such as Craigslist or Freelist to buy or exchange goods locally, always bring someone you trust with you to meet the seller/buyer. Be cautious about letting strangers into your home or meeting in unsafe places 9. Watch your cookies Cookies are tidbits of information that websites store on your computer. Some cookies are useful, such as those that store information about you so you don't have to retype info every time you go to that site. Other cookies are used to track your motions through a website. Some companies keep this data for their own usages - however, some sell your information to other marketers. You can monitor and edit the cookies on your computer through your browser. 10. Use anti-spyware Spyware is sneaky software that rides its way onto computers during the download of screensavers, games, music and other applications. Spyware sends information about what you're doing on the internet to a third-party, usually to target you with pop-up ads. Anti-spyware will help block this threat. 11. Monitor your kids' internet useMove computers out of the bedroom and into family space where parents and others can check on your child's internet use by simply walking by. Set specific times that your child may surf the web, and set rules about social media websites, such as Facebook, My Space and Twitter.

Looking for something? SEARCH Causes Of Internet Addiction  0  0   With more than 100 million users worldwide, the internet has become one of the most universal methods for communication. From e-mail to the possibly billions of web pages, the amount of information flowing is infinite. It gives the user freedom to talk and mingle with others online and access MUD (Multi-User Dimensional) games. No doubt, the World Wide Web (www) is informative, convenient, resourceful and fun, but this freedom comes along with the possibilities of abuse and addiction.   Inte

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In findings that will worry parents across America, researchers said going online was such a compulsion for some High School students that withdrawing could cause serious medical and psychological consequences.

Researchers found that one in every 25 teens had 'problematic Internet use' - and these students were most likely to report serious problems when not online.

Asian and Hispanic students were most likely to qualify as problematic users --

More than 10 percent of parents around the world say their child has been cyberbullied and nearly one-fourth know a youngster who has been a victim,

n Indonesia, 91 percent said they knew about cyberbullying, in which a child, group of children or yo

Between cell phones, social media Web sites, and online gaming, children today seem to have more outlets for interacting with each other virtually than they do for interacting with each other in person. However, with all of the good social interaction that is done as a result of these technologies also comes the bad. In addition to the physical and verbal bullying that may take place at school, cyber-bullying in the form of harassing text messages and derogatory posts on children’s Facebook pages is now commonplace. Even though it may not take place in person, the emotional and psychological effects of cyber-bullying are just as destructive. Since new media and cell phones are harder to track and monitor, parents need to take preventive measures that can help minimize the effects of cyber-bullying on their children.