Parent’s Can Actually Teach Kids Something About The Internet!

Last month  research was published by the University of Buffalo and the University of Maryland that showed that teen’s online safety was improved by education.

“The researchers found that preteens and early teenagers who were educated on the importance of Internet privacy through school, parents, or the media were more likely to practice online safety than those who weren’t. Among teachers, peers, and parents, parents were the most influential in delivering that education, according to respondents.”

One of the more interesting results of the study were that girls were more likely to practice safe Internet behaviors than boys.   They believe that girls found internet safety and privacy online to be more important.

Boys are more willing to provide personal information, which goes against my own personal assumptions. I would be interested in learning more about why this behavior is different between the genders.

Kids Don’t Learn From Their Mistakes!

The researchers were surprised to find that kids who had experienced a “privacy breach” did NOT change their behaviors afterward, which increased their chance of become a victim again.  It’s surprising, all though very well known, that kids don’t learn from their mistakes.

It is just more proof that education is paramount.  Parents are doing a great job by discussing Internet “best practices” with their kids.  As the study showed, parents have the greatest influence.

Where Can Parent’s Go For Help?

As you may know, Children’s Educational Network has been dedicated to providing technology and education for many years now.  It has been our theory that technology alone was not enough to keep our kids safe.  We have developed educational tools along with KidSafe Software to help teach kids and parents the importance of being safe out there in the vast world wide web.

For parent’s who need help discussing Internet Safety with their children, there is a vast array of resources available on the Internet. We developed an Internet Safety Report for you to use and share with other parents, teachers, educators, and anyone else who might be in the sphere of influence for your children.

It’s nice to have validation by such prestigious researchers.