Grace Apostolic Church of Clawson

Parents,

Here are some startling statistics regarding youth and their internet browsing habits. Please do not allow your children to browse the internet alone. Routinely review their internet logs by visiting the History. I am currently looking into a software solution as well, but NOTHING replaces good ol’ fashioned parenting! If anyone has a recommendation please forward it to me either here via “comments” or to my email at pastormangold@comcast.net. Thanks.  Pastor RDM 

• 87% of U.S. teens ages 12 to 17 currently use the Internet, representing about 21 million youth. Of those, approximately 11 million teens go online on a daily basis. (Pew Internet and American Life, “Teens and Technology,” July 27, 2005.)
• The size of the wired teen population surges at the seventh grade mark. While about 60% of sixth graders use the Internet, by seventh grade the number jumps to 82%. (Pew Internet and American Life, “Teens and Technology,” July 27, 2005.)
• 47% of children have received e-mails with links to pornographic websites. (Symantec market research report, June 9, 2003)
• 30% of teenage girls polled by the Girl Scout Research Institute said they had been sexually harassed in a chatroom. Only 7%, however, told their mothers or fathers about the harassment, as they were worried that their parents would ban them from going online. (Girl Scout Research Institute 2002)
• 86% of the girls polled said they could chat online without their parents’ knowledge, 57% could read their parents e-mail, and 54% could conduct a cyber relationship. (Girl Scout Research Institute 2002)
• 81% of parents and 79% of teens state that teenagers aren’t careful enough when giving out information about themselves online. 65% of parents and 64% of teens say that teenagers do things online that they wouldn’t want their parents to know about. (Pew Internet and American Life, “Protecting Teens Online,” March 17, 2005.)
• 27% of teens said that they have known a friend to actually meet someone whom they only knew online (Teen Research Unlimited, “Topline Findings from Omnibuss Research,” October 2005.)
• Online teens admit that they frequently communicate with people they have never met: 54% have Instant Messaged a stranger, 50% have emailed a stranger, and 45% have participated in a chat room discussion with a stranger (Teen Research Unlimited, “Topline Findings from Omnibuss Research,” October 2005.)
• 28% of teens said they use code words on a daily basis to hide their online conversations from their parents – example: “PIR” means “parent in room” (Teen Research Unlimited, “Topline Findings from Omnibuss Research,” October 2005.)

• Just as you stay away from strangers on the street, be careful about strangers on the Internet.
   
• If anyone uses nasty language or mentions things that make you uncomfortable, don’t respond and log off.
   
• Never give your real last name, address, or telephone number to anyone; if someone asks for this information (or for your password) , don’t respond. Log off and tell a trusted adult.
   
• Never agree to meet with someone you’ve talked with on the Internet without asking permission from your parents first.
   
• There are places on the NET which are for adults only; if you find yourself in an “adults-only” place, or anywhere you think you shouldn’t be, leave! There are plenty of good “kid places” on the net.

There are some very important things that you need to keep in mind when you’re on your computer at home or at school.

• Set guidelines and expectations for children and teens that are on the internet – review this information with them.  
• Keep computers with internet access in place with high-traffic and high-visibility, to avoid the temptation to view sites anonymously – it’s about accountability.  
• First, remember never to give out personal information such as your name, home address, school name, or telephone number in a chat room or on bulletin boards. Also, never send a picture of yourself to someone you chat with on the computer without your parent’s permission.
• Never write to someone who has made you feel uncomfortable or scared.
• Do not meet someone or have them visit you without the permission of your parents.
• Tell your parents right away if you read anything on the Internet that makes you feel uncomfortable.
• Remember that people online may not be who they say they are. Someone who says that “she” is a “12-year-old girl” could really be an older man.