Education and communication are two worthy weapons that parents can use to arm and prepare their children in a world gone mad. In our society, kids use the Internet on a daily basis. It's a fact of life. However, there is much parents can do to create cyber-world street smarts in their kids.
One way is by being aware of methods used by online predators to lure children into revealing personal information such as home phone numbers. With games like Runescape, kids are able to chat online while they play multi-player games with hoardes of online users. A simple taunt to reveal one's age and a little bit of teasing is all it can take to extract personal information, such as telephone numbers, from an unwary child. This method is being used increasingly by sex predators posing as game playing peers. Parents must be alert to these dangers and talk to their kids on a daily basis to avoid dangerous exchanges of information by their kids.
Sites like 'What Every Parent Must Know' are springing up in ordert to educate parents about the lastest tactics being used by child preditors. Computer monitoring services are also available that allow parents to review their kids online travels and keep on top of potential problems.
Education About Child Predators
Parents Reading Up to Protect Children
Trend Themes
1. Online Safety Education - Opportunity for businesses to develop educational resources and tools that teach parents and children about online safety, including the tactics used by child predators.
2. Communication Platforms - There is a need for innovative communication platforms that enable parents to have open and regular conversations with their children about online safety to avoid dangerous exchanges of information.
3. Monitoring Services - Companies can provide computer monitoring services that allow parents to keep track of their children's online activities and identify potential risks.
Industry Implications
1. Education Technology - The education technology industry can create specialized online safety courses and tools for parents and children.
2. Communication and Messaging - Communication and messaging platforms can develop features that facilitate conversations between parents and children about online safety.
3. Cybersecurity - Cybersecurity companies can offer monitoring services and parental control tools to help parents protect their children from online predators.