Internet Survival Kit

Everyone’s doing it! It is estimated that…

• 55% of kids aged 8 to 18 own a hand-held video game
• 45% of kids aged 8 to 18 have a cell phone with text messaging
• 37% of kids aged 8 to 18 own a MP3 Player
• 26% of kids aged 8 to 18 have a laptop
• 13% of kids aged 8 to 18 have some type of hand-held internet device 

Can’t live with them…Can’t live without them…

• 60% of 6th graders reported using the internet; by 7th grade, usage increased to 82%
• 94% of teens report using the internet by the time they reach the 11th or 12th grade

What can they possibly be doing??

• Email: 89% of the time
• Movies/TV show info: 84% of the time
• Online video games: 81% of the time
• Instant Messaging (IM): 75% of the time
• Downloading music: 51% of the time
• Online purchases: 43% of the time

My Child would NEVER….

• It is reported that 11 million teens view porn regularly online; 70% of whom find it “by accident”
• One-third (1/3) of kids in grades 7th to 12th say they are older in order to gain access to a website
• 42% of parents DO NOT review or monitor the content that their kids read/send online

Why are parents not monitoring?

• Keeping up is hard to do
• Kids access the internet on their own
• Kids have more computer smarts than their parents

Parents: Don’t become a statistic…

• Have kids access the computer from a common area in your home
• Use internet filters
• Set time limits for online use

Kids: Don’t become a statistic…

• NEVER give personal information to anyone you meet online
• NEVER get together with someone you meet online
• Do not fill out “fun” questionnaires that are forwarded…even if they are from your friends
• Make sure you know everyone on your buddy list
• If you don’t know who sent the email, don’t respond. Just delete
• Private? What’s that? It does not exist on the internet
• Be careful of the pictures you post. If you don’t want your parents, teacher, pastor, or future college advisor to see it, it may not be a good idea to post it
• Never share your password with anyone except your parents

Is my child ready for this?

• Ages 7-9: Some kids will want to start emailing. IM (instant messaging) is not a good idea.
• Age 10-12: Children will begin to explore on their own for school and for fun. IMing comes into play here for the first time - more so for girls than for boys.
• Ages 13-16: The Full Monty! It’s entirely age-appropriate for this group to email, IM, surf the Web, download, and play games. However, Parents, make sure your kids know your rules.

How can you become a cool media savvy parent?

1. Visit an online social networking site (facebook or myspace, for example).
2. Play a video game with your kid.
3. Download something your kids will like.
4. Check out You/Tube. (www.youtube.com)
5. Invest in a digital video recorder (DVR)
6. Learn how to manage your kids online lives

Akara Ingram, Intern, Center on Adolescent Sexuality, Pregnancy and Parenting (CASPP), Human Development & Family Studies, University of Missouri Extension