August 25, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 15 �������������� Protect children’s online privacy by being informed Children may not realize what is safe Millions of people, including school children, use a computer, mobile phone, with regard to social-networking sites. or another digital device to participate in Although parents may feel out-paced by social networking sites. This combina- their technologically savvy children, it ����������������������������� tion has the potential to be dangerous. The is important for them to be informed and information being shared or the ������������ the connection“friends” involved in their children’s online interacon the other end of may lead tions. Here are some steps parents can take to to trouble for unsuspecting individuals. �������������������� According to ComScore data, Face- make the process fun but safe. Discuss privacy. Adolescents may think book now commands 41 percent of all traffic on social-destination sites. Myspace, that only their friends will view their pri������������������ who are vate information. While privacy settings Gmail and Twitter follow. Parents unaware of these modes of communication on social networking sites can be estabshould educate themselves to protect their lished, if a child befriends someone he or children. While some of these sites have she thinks is safe, that person will have age requirements, many younger children access to information, too. Certain inforare circumventing this requirement by mation, such as social security numbers, lying about age -- something that is diffi- addresses, birthdays, account numbers, etc. should never be made public on a site. cult to verify online. Talk about sexual predators. No parent Perhaps most disturbing, some adults are masking their ages to target children. wants to think about an individual preyMany kids are logging in every day to chat. ing on his or her child. But the Internet is According to 2006 studies by Pew Internet home to many sexual predators who use Research, 38 percent of respondents ages social networking sites to target victims. 12 to 14 said they had an online profile of Parents should inform their children not some sort, and 42 percent said they logged to accept friend requests from individuals in each day to chat with friends. Because they don’t know. While this may seem to this research was compiled four years ago, counter what the sites were designed to do, it’s likely the percentage of students online it’s better to be safe than have a long list of friends. is now much higher. Remember that information cannot be taken back. Inform children that once information is shared online, it has a funny way of always remaining somewhere in cyberspace. It is very difficult to delete information once it has been shared; there is a digital record of it. Also, even if a child removes himself or herself from a social networking site, it’s safe to assume that his or her information is still being stored in a database. Do not post any information you wouldn’t want everyone to see. Social networking sites are not private places. Language, photos, and information may be seen by a larger audience. Therefore, if a child wouldn’t feel comfortable swearing in front of his or her teacher, that kind of language should not be used online. What’s more, some social networking sites make limited profile information available to advertisers and target marketers. There are few secrets online these days. View children’s pages. It’s a good idea to see what children are doing online. There are parental monitoring software programs that can limit certain websites or track surfing. Also, a parent can simply ask to view a child’s social networking page to check on friends and activity. FALL ��������������������� Semester One Sept. 20, 2010 to Jan. 29, 2011 PORTFOLIO Development Teens headed for Art Colleges need a portfolio. Create one in our Evening & Saturday Portfolio Classes. in Your Scho Ar ol r Sc ho ol Afte thday Parties • Private Lessons Bir /Girl Scout Badges Boy rapeutic Art Lessons he •T S CELrAmeStES t n ic h n Sign up now! • • • drawingroomllc.com 27 Central Ave • 2nd Floor • Midland Park 201•447•7272 New School of Dance Arts When I grow up…. I may not be a ballet dancer, but �������� ������ �������������� �������������� ��������������� ���������������������������������� �������������������������������� ����������������������������������� ����������������������������� I will have “gained” much from my dance classes at NSDA – self-confidence, focus, friendships, appreciation for the arts, a healthy attitude towards exercise - all while having a very positive experience. We have been teaching dance for 35 years, but it is so much more than that! Give us a call at 201-444-3929 ���������������� ����������������� ������������������ ������������ Studio is Open for In-Person Registration Beginning August 17 Through September 9 Tuesdays/Wednesdays from Noon – 4:30pm & Thursdays from 10:30 – 1:00 16 & 18 Godwin Plaza, Godwin Avenue, Midland Park, NJ 07432 www.newschoolofdancearts.com Directors/Teachers: Ann Clark Van Hine & Carol Ferro Maffei Teachers: Jes Kelly & Dena Malarek ����������������������