Social Media and Student's Future Careers

Back to school - let your kids know their keystrokes will effect their future.

I have discussed this topic for a long time along with my colleagues we constantly discuss the importance of digital citizenship.  It will be your virtual image that will dictate your future.  Your keystrokes are that important!  No one gets a second chance to make a first impression – especially when their name is being put through an Internet wash-cycle.

More employers are turning to social networking sites to find additional information on potential candidates – and they’re not entirely impressed with what they’re seeing. A new survey from CareerBuilder found that 51% of employers who research job candidates on social media said they’ve found content that caused them to not hire the candidate, up from 43% last year and 34%  in 2012.
Forty-three percent of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates, up from 39% last year and 36% in 2012. Additionally, 12% of employers don’t currently research candidates on social media, but plan to start, according to the national survey, which was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from February 10 to March 4, 2014, and included a representative sample of 2,138 hiring managers and human resource professionals, and a representative sample 3,022 full-time, private sector workers across industries and company sizes.

Beyond Social Networking
Employers aren’t limiting themselves to social networks when it comes to researching candidates’ web presences. Forty-five percent of employers use search engines such as Google to research potential job candidates, with 20 percent saying they do so frequently or always. Additionally, 12 percent of employers say they’ve reviewed a potential job candidate’s posts or comments on Glassdoor.com, Yelp.com or other ratings sites.

Helping or Hurting?
So what are employers finding on social media that’s prompting them to eliminate candidates from consideration? The most common reasons to pass on a candidate included:

• Job candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information – 46%
• Job candidate posted information about them drinking or using drugs – 41%
• Job candidates bad-mouthed their previous company or fellow employee – 36%
• Job candidate had poor communication skills – 32%
• Job candidate had discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion etc. – 28%
• Job candidate lied about qualifications – 25%
• Job candidate shared confidential information from previous employers – 24%
• Job candidate was linked to criminal behavior – 22%
• Job candidate’s screen name was unprofessional – 21%
• Job candidate lied about an absence – 13%

However, one third (33%) of employers who research candidates on social networking sites say they’ve found content that made them more likely to hire a candidate. What’s more, nearly a quarter (23%) found content that directly led to them hiring the candidate, up from 19% last year.
Some of the most common reasons employers hired a candidate based on their social networking presence included:

• Got a good feel for the job candidate’s personality, could see a good fit within the company culture – 46%
• Job candidate’s background information supported their professional qualifications for the job – 45%
• Job candidate’s site conveyed a professional image – 43%
• Job candidate was well-rounded, showed a wide range of interests – 40%
• Job candidate had great communication skills – 40%
• Job candidate was creative – 36%
• Job candidate received awards and accolades – 31%
• Other people posted great references about the job candidate – 30%
• Job candidate had interacted with my company’s social media accounts – 24%
• Job candidate had a large amount of followers or subscribers – 14%

“It’s important for job seekers to remember that much of what they post to the Internet – and in some cases what others post about them – can be found by potential employers, and that can affect their chances of getting hired down the road,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. “Job seekers need to stay vigilant, and pay attention to privacy updates from all of their social networking accounts so they know what information is out there for others to see. Take control of your web presence by limiting who can post to your profile and monitoring posts you’ve been tagged in.”

Watch What You Post
Employers shared the strangest things they’ve discovered on job candidates’ or current employees’ social media profiles, including:

• Candidate’s profile included links to an escort service
• Candidate posted a photo of a warrant for his arrest
• Candidate posted an exercise video for grandmothers
• Candidate had sued his wife for shooting him in the head
• Candidate featured a pig as his closest friend
• Candidate posted his dental exam results
• Candidate bragged about driving drunk and not getting caught on several occasions
• Candidate was actively involved in a demonic cult
• Candidate posted Sasquatch pictures he had taken

Privacy
Many workers and job seekers are taking measures to protect their privacy and avoid over-sharing with potential employers. Nearly half (47%) of workers only share posts with friends and family, 41% have their profile set to private, and 18 percent keep separate professional and personal profiles. Twenty-eight percent of workers say they don’t use social media.

About CareerBuilder®
CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract great talent. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States with more than 24 million unique visitors and 1 million jobs. CareerBuilder works with the world’s top employers, providing everything from labor market intelligence to talent management software and other recruitment solutions. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company and The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, South America, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

Published with permission from Career Builder.

10 Reasons Parents Need to Learn about Technology their Kids are Using

Protect your kids online.

According to the results of one survey I read, 46.9% of internet users are under the age of 25.  Taking those results, this article should be an interesting one.  While part of that percentage is probably in their twenties, that leaves a big number below the age of 18.

It is wonderful how new technology has brought us closer to all points of the world.  Technology, especially the Internet has made our once big world small; Insomuch that at any given time we can talk to China or Australia and never leave our home in rural America.  While for the business world that may be a good thing, it goes without saying that for our children, it is a little much for them to be experiencing so much of the world so soon.

I enjoy watching the TV show “To catch a predator”.  Maybe enjoy isn’t the correct word, but it is interesting to say the least.  Maybe the part I like best about is to see the would be pedophile caught, and watch him squirm.  Also knowing it is a foiled attempt to actually meet a young innocent teenager. I like watching as they are hauled off to jail to stay awhile and think about what they are doing or were about to do.  How many are actually rehabilitated is a million dollar question.

The outcry from parents has been so loud against pop-up pornography sites that the Microsoft people have played a big part in stopping most pop-ups.  As careful as I am about certain sites my PC got viruses and I had to have it commercially cleaned.  I was appalled at what they found – so thankfully it was removed with no harm done except the fee I had to pay for getting it cleaned up.

Without thinking young people fill in applications for this or that, leaving themselves open to the world with all their information; from age to sex to likes and dis-likes.  Nothing is hidden on the WWW.  Parents beware of what your children are telling about themselves.  Spammers are good at what they do.  And once Spammed is too late to keep it from happening.

A recent article about parents in China, showed that 42.6 percent of the parents surveyed “strongly oppose their children’s use of Internet” or “relatively oppose”, while as high as 78.4 percent say they worry that surfing Internet could adversely affect children’s study. Another 44.9 percent worry about their children’s exposure to pornography online.

I remember when CHAT was the thing back in the 90’s.  It was weird to get on a chat with people one did not know just to talk (chat) awhile.  It opened up an exciting venture for teens to introduce themselves and chat with people around the world.  Now the truth is – were they from down the street?  Across town?  Was their name really Jack or Mary?  There are a lot of messed up people in the world and children are not mature enough to know the difference in real versus crazy people.

Now there is the ChatRoulette which is supposed to be for viewers above18 years or older, however there is not a place to enter the birth date of the viewer.  By the name Roulette, it gives us a good picture of the content.  It is easily accessible using Skype and what the viewer sees on the screen is anyone’s guess and from what I read it can get pretty graphic even porn-a-graphic.

One thinks of the internet as a place to do research and study.  Invariably it has taken place of my set of World Book Encyclopedia’s.  However not everything on the Internet is true. Just because it is in print and somehow got on the internet, does not make it Gospel.  Everyone has an opinion.  Opinions are not History.  History is an actual accepted record of what happened at a certain point in time.
Kim Komando of CyberSpeak,  brought up an interesting subject with the following:  “We all know that music can alter your mood. Sad songs can make you cry. Upbeat songs may give you an energy boost. But can music create the same effects as illegal drugs?"
This seems like a ridiculous question. But websites are targeting your children with so-called digital drugs. These are audio files designed to induce drug-like effects.  All your child needs is a music player and headphones.”

Do you find this as scary as I do?   I wish I were knowledgeable enough to even discuss it, however it would bear great urgency for Parents to check it out.  I found the information on the USA Today site.  Very informative.

Then there is U Tube, the place where a megabyte of fame is worth everything.  Kids have excess to cameras every day; on their phone or mini video cameras.  In a moment when a young lady has let her guard down can change her life forever.  Or for that matter a young man, being teased can be shown on the WWW and he is embarrassed for life.  What may have started out as a joke, may wind up as being harassment.
We cannot keep our children locked up for short seven years of their teens.  The Internet is technology that is here to stay.  And from the youngest of ages, our children are being exposed to the World Wide Webb.
Warren Buckleitner, editor of Children’s Technology Review says, “Kids are surrounded by screens in a way like never before, at home, in their pockets, in the minivan, and they know how to use them at younger and younger ages and Parents must be a part of it.”   He goes on to say:  “”If you’re going to allow your kid to go to a website or play a game, you have to first check it out yourself.  Think about it, you don’t let your child eat a meal you’ve never tasted before.”

Special guest contributor: Kate Crosten of Internet Services

Read more.

Sue Scheff: Should You Allow Your Teens to Talk to Strangers Online? Chatroulette, a new concern for parents

A 17 year-old boy in Moscow created a new chatroom website: Chatroulette.

"I created this project for fun," Andrey Ternovskiy wrote in an e-mail to the paper. "Everyone finds his own way of using the site. Some think it is a game, others think it is a whole unknown world, others think it is a dating service." - New York Times

What does this mean for parents? Another website to monitor and talk to your kids about. If you haven't heard of Chatroulette, you may think that talking about it will only create curiosity with your kids. It may, however knowing about it can help you to be educated about it and talk to your teens intelligently about Chatroulette.

Chatroulette gives a person an opportunity to communicate, converse with people they would otherwise never know. It is talking to strangers. Anonymity encourages all types of people with a variety of colorful stories (whether true or not). This site is not blocked for minors, so it is up to the parents to be sure they have their parental controls and filters in place.

However remember, no matter how many fire walls you install, blocks to websites, etc.... unless your child understands the dangers, they will always find a way to get to where they want to surf. It is as easy as going to a friend's computer, your local library or even an Internet café with their allowance.

Education is key. As a parent you should learn about this latest trend and talk to your kids about it.

While Promise of New Web Site Is to Connect Strangers, the Practice Can Be Something Creepier - Good Morning America

Watch video for more information on Chatroulette by Newsy.com.

Sue Scheff: Penguin Parenting - Is it really Black and/or White?

As we enter into 2010 parenting has taken on a whole new look, but has it really?

Years ago our parents worried about us and what our future will be. Today: That is still the same.

Years ago our parents told us we needed to finish high school and get an education. Today: That is still the same.

Years ago our parents told us someday we would understand why they wouldn't allow something. Today: That is true, as we parent our own kids and think back about how we have come full circle.

Years ago our parents said we should respect authority, always. Today: That is still the same.

Years ago our parents told us that we need to learn responsibility. Today: That is still the same.

Is parenting really black and white? If only it were that easy, however it is the same as it was years ago except:

You are reading this article online instead of picking up the paper off your front step.
You are conversing with your kids either via text or email.
You are learning about technology and how to not only keep your kids safe in general, you need to worry about what is lurking in cyberspace.

Yes, going into 2010 in the parenting world may be the same in a lot of ways, however today you have many more resources and access to become an educated parent - so those exceptions will help you learn more about what your kids are doing - both online and off!

Must read: Parenting 2010: Getting Ahead of Your Kids Virtually. (5 part series)

Subscribe to my articles to keep up to date with parenting and Internet safety articles.

Also on Examiner.

Sue Scheff: Parenting 2010 (part 1)

Part 1 of a 5 part series for a "virtual make-over" in 2010!


As quickly as the holiday's have come upon us, New Year's is literally weeks away. What will your resolution be as a parent?

Parenting teens today is extremely challenging. With all the technology, cell phones, i-Phones, i-Pods, and much more, how can parents keep up?

As many times as we hear we need to be ten steps ahead of our kids technically, it seems almost impossible.


Here is part one of a five part series. As a parent you need to consider this New Year's resolution and take the time to make a difference in your child's life - technically speaking right now.

"Time" is the key word, and you never know what you will learn from your child in this process. This is a resolution every parent needs to consider, and honestly can't afford to ignore in today's hi-tech society.

Part 1 - Sit down with your child, and especially those with teens, and review each others social networking sites. Is there questionable photo's there? Are there words that are less than appropriate? Are there friends that may not be the best to associate with?

Explain why the photo's are not appropriate.

Talk to your child about why certain language is questionable and people may see you in a false light.

Give examples why a certain person may not be the best to associate with.

Children and teens need to understand what the post today can haunt them tomorrow. Teens need to understand the consequences of college recruiters that will Google you and may exclude you from consideration due to a questionable online presence. Children need to understand that they are vulnerable to Internet Predators and how to block contact from potential monsters that lurk online.

Part 2 - New Year's Resolution for parents: Create a family Blog for you and your teens.

Part 3 - Learn to monitor your children and teens online.

Parts 4 and 5 coming soon!

References for parents to review: Social Web Tips for Teens, Chatroom Safety Tips, Cell Phone Safety Tips, Social Web Tips for Parents

Don't forget to subscribe to my articles to be alerted when updated information on parenting and Internet Safety is posted.

Sue Scheff: Parenting in the Digital Age

I created my organization, Parents Universal Resource Experts in 2001. Many parents contact us for assistance when they are at their wit’s end with their teenager. Parenting has so many more challenges since 2001, with the ever expanding technology that seems almost impossbile to keep up with.

Now bullying has escalated to cyberbullying. Texting has created sexting. For parents, teachers and most adults, we are struggling to keep up. Today I speak a lot about protecting your teens online – what they post today, can haunt them tomorrow. More and more colleges are using Search Engines to research their candidates, do you know what Google is saying about your potential college applicant?

ReputationDefender is the original online reputation management services, and since 2006 they have been helping people learn about their virtual presence. I personally have retained them, and find them to be priceless. Their service to protect your children is also priceless – take a moment to read their recent Blog post. They are always 10 steps ahead of us! As a parent, we need to be there too!

Source: ReputationDefender Blog

Parenting in the Digital Age

By Rob Frappier

It’s 2009. That means that there are children using the internet everyday who were born after the Y2K scare. Am I the only one that finds that fact somewhat mind boggling?In the last decade, the internet has grown exponentially. With the creation of social networking websites like MySpace and Facebook, the internet has become more than a place to seek out information, but to connect with friends. For kids, the development of social networking expanded the school day from 7 hours to 24 hours, replacing the phone as the place where students shared gossip after the last bell rang.

Along with the increased internet usage, came a new problem, cyberbullying. Kids and teens, many no doubt struggling with their own emotional development and maturation issues, used the internet as a tool to reach out and anonymously torment their peers. In the most simplistic cases, cyberbullying leads to depression and anxiety. In severe cases, where abuse is especially virulent and prolonged, it has led teens to commit suicide. Apart from cyberbullying, there’s the danger of your child meeting a cyberpredator online, or, posting inappropriate and reputation damaging information about themselves or your family.

The list goes on and on.

When you have a child, you’re expected to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders for them. In the digital age, that means carrying the weight of the World Wide Web as well. As scary as it can be to think about the dangers lurking online (in addition to the countless everyday worries), it doesn’t do any good to ignore these issues. If your kids have more experience using the internet than you do, that doesn’t automatically mean that they understand the proper way to use it. As in any other aspect of life, your kids need you to help guide them, and with the internet that means setting expectations and abiding by them.

There are a number of ways you can help protect your kids from getting into trouble online. Here at ReputationDefender, we offer MyChild. With MyChild, you can see where and in what context your child’s name appears on the web. Through personalized monthly reports, parents can keep an eye on how their kids are using the web and help head off any potential problems before they spin out of control. Later in the week, I will be offering some practical advice for parents on securing their children’s safety online and protecting their family’s reputation.Being a parent isn’t easy under the best circumstances. That’s why, from our earliest days as a company, we have been committed to making the internet a safer and better place for kids. We show this in our products, and in our work with other leaders in the field, such as the Internet Keep Safe Coalition.

Check back to the ReputationDefender Blog later in the week for more help and advice on raising your children in the digital age.

Follow ReputationDefender on Twitter @RepDef

(I believe in ReputationDefender. I do not receive any referral fees and have never been paid by them. I am simply a satisfied client and Parent Advocate that wants to share information to help other parents.)

Sue Scheff: Social web tips for parents

Source: ConnectSafely.org

As school is opening and always, parents need to be educated on today’s kids and latest and expanding trend of social networking. ConnectSafely offers a valuable website that every parent should take the time to review, study and learn more about social web tips and how to keep your kids safe both online and with their cell phones. An educated parent is a prepared parent.

Source: ConnectSafely.org

These tips for parents about safety on the social Web are based on the latest research from the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire (with input from our colleagues there).

Be reasonable and try to set reasonable expectations. Pulling the plug on your child’s favorite social site is like pulling the plug on his or her social life. Instead of being protective, it can shut down communication and send kids “underground” where they’re more at risk. It’s too easy for them to set up free blogs and profiles from anywhere, including friends’ houses or even a cell phone.

Talk with your kids about how they use the services. They, not news reports or even experts, are the ones to consult about their social-Web experience. Help them understand basic safety guidelines, such as protecting their privacy (including passwords), not harassing peers, never talking about sex with people they don’t know, avoiding in-person meetings with people they “meet” online, and taking care in what they post – because anything people put online can be grabbed, reworked, and used against them.

Support critical thinking and civil behavior because no laws or parental-control software can protect better than a child’s developing good sense about safety and relationships. Research shows that kids who are aggressive and mean online toward peers or strangers are at greater risk of becoming victims themselves. So teach them to be good citizens and friends online as much as offline.

Consider requiring Internet use in a high-traffic place in your home – not in kids’ rooms – to help you stay aware of their online time. This way, you can encourage a balance between online time and their offline academic, sports, and social times. Know that there are also many ways kids can access the Internet away from home, including on many mobile phones and game players.

Try to get your kids to share their profiles and blogs with you, but be aware that they can have multiple accounts on multiple services. Use search engines and the search tools on social-networking sites to search for your kids’ full names, phone numbers and other identifying information. You’re not invading their privacy if they’re putting personal info in public “places” online. If their pages are private, that’s a good thing, but it’s even better if they share it with you.

If you’d like to print these tips out, here’s a PDF version.

Reprinted with permission from ConnectSafely.org.

Sue Scheff: Connect Safely - Be An Educated Parent

About Connect Safely:

ConnectSafely is for parents, teens, educators, advocates - everyone engaged in and interested in the impact of the social Web.

The user-driven, all-media, multi-platform, fixed and mobile social Web is a big part of young people's lives, and this is the central space – linked to from social networks across the Web - for learning about safe, civil use of Web 2.0 together. Our forum is also designed to give teens and parents a voice in the public discussion about youth online safety begun back in the '90s. ConnectSafely also has all kinds of social-media safety tips for teens and parents, the latest youth-tech news, and many other resources.

ConnectSafely.org is a project of Tech Parenting Group, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Palo Alto, Calif., and Salt Lake City, Utah. The forum is co-directed by Larry Magid of SafeKids.com and Anne Collier of NetFamilyNews.org, co-authors of MySpace Unraveled: What It Is and How to Use It Safely. (Peachpit Press, Berkeley, Calif., July 2006).

Sue Scheff: Remarkable Parents - Using Information and Technology to Improve Lives

Today more than ever, parents need to become educated in technology to better understand what their kids are doing online!

Here is a great website with lots of information, tips, articles and more to help your improve your technology intelligence.

Source: Remarkable Parents

Twitter. Google Docs. MySpace. Facebook. When you hear these words, does it sound like a foreign language?

Is MySpace your idea of outer space?

Better Communication

Try to communicate with your kids using these new social media and software tools and you’ve probably thought Forget it

Don’t Forget it. Get it, with the help of Remarkable Parents.

Use technology as an ally, not an enemy .

Remarkable Parents don’t fight the flow, they roll with it.

You already know that everything is happening now on the web. It’s where your kids are interacting with their friends.

What you may not know is that it’s also a forum that allows us to be in contact with each other, and more importantly, to stay in touch with your kids.

Higher Productivity
The internet has been called ‘The Great Equalizer’ between big business and small business.

This is because it allows small business to have a large presence in it’s venue.

It’s also ‘The Great Equalizer’ between generations

More Quality Time
Our site will help you make better use of your precious time.

We will help you become more organized and productive.

This will enable you to be part of the conversation, instead of fighting it.

“Because the truth is, these technology tools aren’t just for teens.

Adults are using them to connect with each other, to learn new things, and to be more productive at home and at work!”

Technology is not going away and the web is not going anywhere. The sooner you learn to use these resources to your advantage, the better off you will be.

Our kids, in this era, have never experienced life without computers. We have some catching up to do, and this is where Remarkable Parents comes in.

We Can Help
At Remarkable Parents, you’ll find all the information, tools, and resources to stay on top of what’s happening on the web and we recommend only the good stuff.

We are wading through the junk for you and only presenting you with the best.

Use our resources to help you be the best parent, spouse, employee, and individual you can be!.

Remarkable Parents is a community of sharing, growth, and support. Together we are so much more remarkable than any one of use is alone!

Parenting is tough! It is a constant challenge as we are raising remarkable human beings, and that my friend is hard work!

We Will Help
Make it easier for yourself by joining the Remarkable Parents community.

You can subscribe via RSS feed or by email and we will help you stay on top of the constantly changing technological landscape.

Join the community of Remarkable Parents who are gathering to exchange ideas, information, best practices, as well as sharing how they are using technology to become even more remarkable.

Welcome. We’re glad your here. Visit www.remarkableparents.com and follow them on Twitter at @eeUS

The Remarkable Parents Team

Sue Scheff: Teaching Children About Online Risks

Wiredsafety.org offers a tremendous amount of information to help you help your children to stay safe online. Here is one of their latest articles by Parry Aftab, a leading voice in educating parents and kids that surf on the net!

By Parry Aftab , WiredSafety.org

How can I teach my children about risks online if I have never used the Internet?

For some reason, the moment anyone mentions the word “computer” or the “Internet,” everyone panics. I don’t know why. All the normal advice about using common sense to stay safe applies exactly the same in cyberspace. Use the same lectures your parents gave you — the same ones their parents gave them. We can use the basic rules and just translate them into cybertalk. Let me show you how easy it is.

It’s The Same Old Thing-in a New and Improved Package

Don’t talk to or accept anything from strangers. (See? Familiar territory)

I need to meet your friends.
Come straight home.
Don’t say nasty things about other people.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Be polite to and respectful of others.
Don’t tell people personal things about yourself.
Don’t tell people personal things about your family.

I told you that you already know this stuff but just needed someone to translate it into cyberspace terms. Here’s the translation:

Don’t talk to or accept anything from strangers.

Who’s a stranger online? Everyone is! Yet we talk online in chat rooms and discussion groups all the time. It’s one of the most entertaining things we can do online. So how does this advice work online?

Teach your children that anyone they don’t know offline is a stranger. You can chat with them, but never tell them anything that you would tell a friend. Remember, chat with them-but don’t confide in them. Talk about movies, or music, or sports-nothing personal. A teenager put it best; she said, “Remember that the people you chat with online are not your friends, they are just people you chat with.”

But this is the hardest thing for our children to remember. As I told you before, one of the biggest problems with cyberpredators is that they function in your home. Our kids feel safe with us seated nearby. Their stranger danger reflexes are not engaged.

There is a sense of intimacy online that cyberpredators count on. They need to convince your children that they are not strangers at all. They hope to convince them that the standard rules don’t apply. You need to remind your children that these people are strangers and that the standard rules always apply.

I need to meet your friends.

We all heard this from our parents, and have said this to our own children. You’d never let your children spend time with real-life friends you hadn’t met, would you? Why should it be any different in cyberspace? You should get to know the people they are frequently talking to online: who is influencing them, is the friendship appropriate, and are they the kind of children you want your child associated with. While you don’t have to know everyone they run into in cyberspace, you should find out whom they are chatting with regularly.

There are some special reasons to find out whom they are friends with online that don’t exist in real-life friendships. In real life our kids can spot the adults. In cyberspace they can’t. Most of the predators who are out to meet your child offline and who have something other than friendship on their minds- pretend to be children to get past their “stranger danger” radar screen.

Sometimes parents can tell an adult online better than a child can, and might be able to spot an adult who is posing as a teenager or young child to fool your kids.

Come straight home.

When I was young, I was famous for wandering around after school. Friends always invited me home with them, or something interesting was going on. My mother would panic and I would get the same lecture day after day.

Wandering aimlessly online isn’t any different from my wandering around after school. My mother needed to know I was safe, and that I was doing something productive, like homework. Allowing your children to spend unlimited time online, surfing aimlessly, is asking for trouble.
Make sure there’s a reason they’re surfing. If they are just surfing randomly, set a time limit. My advice is to limit surfing just for fun (not schoolwork) to under 1-1/2 hours per day You want them to come home after they’re done, to human interaction and family activities (and homework).

Don’t say nasty things about other people.

Saying nasty things about other people in cyberspace is called “flaming.” It often violates the “terms of service” of your online service provider and will certainly get a reaction from other people online. Flaming matches can be long and extended battles, moving from a chat room or discussion group to e-mail quickly. If your child feels that someone is flaming them, they should tell you and the sysop (system operator, pronounced “sis-op”) or moderator in charge right away.

Don’t take things that aren’t yours.

Kids are surfing and doing their homework. They are surfing and building their own Web sites. While surfing, they often “borrow” things that others have written, and photos and graphics belonging to someone else. For the most part, they are breaking the law. They are stealing someone else’s property.

Many people think that attribution (giving credit to the source) is enough when you copy something. But they are wrong. There is something called “fair use,” which I’ve mentioned elsewhere in this book. But using a graphic at your site, or using a whole poem or story, isn’t fair use. While it’s unlikely that anyone will sue your children for copyright infringement based on a term paper or school report, more and more people are being targeted by entertainment industry members for Web sites and public postings that violate their intellectual property rights.

Be polite and respectful of others.

There are rules for proper behavior everywhere. The online world is no exception. Many online areas have their own rules of correct behavior- sometimes called channel rules or codes of conduct. Learn the rules first.

Chat rooms each have their own rules, too. Don’t barge in and start talking until you’ve had a chance to see what everyone’s discussing. Read the discussion thread for a while, instead of asking everyone what they were talking about. And be respectful of others and their opinions.
Don’t post the same message over and over. Other people’s time is valuable, and they don’t want to have to weed through the same messages you posted in tons of places. If someone helps you, say “thank you.” Courtesy goes a long way in cyberspace. It all comes down to respecting others.

Don’t tell people personal things about yourself.

And don’t tell personal things about your family. You never really know whom you’re talking to. And even if you think you know whom you are talking to, there could be strangers lurking and reading without letting you know that they are there. It’s like writing your personal diary on a postcard.

With children especially, sharing personal information puts them at risk. Make sure your children understand what you consider personal information, and agree to keep it confidential online and everywhere else. Practice asking them questions about themselves they may encounter in a chat room. We teach our children to be polite, not to ignore people or tell them something is none of their business. We also tell them not to talk to strangers. This sometimes creates confusion, and confusion puts kids at risk. Whenever they don’t understand the clear rules, they may wing it. When it comes to sharing personal information online, you never want your kids to wing it.

Remember that the Internet is more like the telephone than it is like the television. Use the same kind of safety measures you would use if your children were talking on the phone to a stranger. If in doubt, think - phone call!

Parry Aftab is a noted online safety and privacy expert and Executive Director of WiredSafety.org

Sue Scheff: Parents Need to Learn Technology Their Kids Know

Source: WiredMoms

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They just Blogged a great article - Parents need to get involved even if they’re not tech savvy

Click here to read it: http://wiredmoms.com/2009/05/27/tech-savvy/