About The Book
For those who have not yet purchased Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens, this page will provide information about what the book contains.
Philosophy Behind the Book
Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens is primarily a parenting book – parenting for the Information Age. Generally, parents do a good job of raising their children to make safe and responsible choices in the Real World. But now, children and teens have the ability to interact with people from throughout the world and to access a wide range of material that may or may not be appropriate for them. So what is a caring parent to do?
Parents know how to handle the situation of their child crossing a busy intersection. When children are young, we hold tight to their hand, because we know that they are not capable of understanding the dynamics of moving cars and red lights and they are simply not capable of independently making a safe choice. As they grow, we begin to talk with them about the dangers and the skills necessary to safely cross a street. “Make sure the cross signal is on. Look left. Look right.” Eventually, we know that our child has the knowledge and skills to independently cross the street.
This same approach is applied to the risks and concerns related to use of the Internet. When children are younger, parents are responsible for making sure their online experiences are in a safe environment. Simple guidelines that do not require significant decision-making should be provided. As children grow, their online activities will expand. As this occurs, parents must have an understanding of the possible risks or concerns, and make sure that their child has the knowledge, skills, and values to make good choices. Teens must know how to prevent becoming involved in an online risky situation, how to detect if there is some risk, and how to respond appropriatly in such event. Teens also need to know how to make responsible choices based on solid values. And because they are still teens, it is important for parents to remain engaged to make sure they are making good choices.
To effectively accomplish this, parents need to fully understand the risks and concerns so that they can effectively communicate with their “totally wired” children. Cyber-Save Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens will provide this understanding.
What the Book Covers
Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens is divided into five parts: Part One addresses basic Internet parenting strategies. Part Two addresses foundational issues, such as privacy protection and stranger literacy. Part Three covers influences on online decision-making. Part Four outlines specific risks and concerns, such as risky sexual activities, cyberbullying, unsafe communities, and the like. Part Five addresses beneficial online activities.
Updates and Revisions
One major problem in writing a book about the Internet is that the technologies can change very rapidly and new research insight is emerging. Also, as life is always a process of learning and thinking, I have been known to change my mind about things and will likely change my mind about some of the guidance I have provided in the book.For these reasons, it will necessary to clarify or modify the guidance provided in Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens from time to time.
Nancy's Youth Risk Online Blog will provide updated infromation and revisions.
More Information
You can review the Table of Contents, a Sample Chapter, and Endorsements here!