Sue Scheff: FTC Releases Guide to Help Parents Talk to Their Kids About the Web

Many know that one of my favorite organizations is ReputationDefender. I believe they are a force in helping you and your family maintain a level of safety online - cyberspace has become an area of concern for many parents, however ReputationDefender is diligently keeping up with the time and even 10 steps ahead of most of us! Here is a recent article from their educational Blog.

FTC Releases Guide to Help Parents Talk to Their Kids About the Web

The Federal Trade Commission recently released a new guide to help parents talk to their kids about the internet. Released through the FTC program, OnGuard Online, the guide is titled Net Cetera: Chatting With Kids About Being Online.

Here is a description of the guide from the FTC:

“Kids and parents have many ways of socializing and communicating online, but they come with certain risks. This guide encourages parents to reduce the risks by talking to kids about how they communicate – online and off – and helping kids engage in conduct they can be proud of. Net Cetera covers what parents need to know, where to go for more information, and issues to raise with kids about living their lives online."

Netcetera was produced in conjunction with a variety of governmental and non-profit agencies, including one of our favorite organizations, the Internet Keep Safe Coalition. ReputationDefender and iKeepSafe have worked together on multiple occasions to advance children’s safety issues online, and we will continue to do so in the future.

Finding solutions to safety and privacy problems on the web isn’t something that can or should be done alone. It is refreshing to see so many groups working toward the common goal of helping parents connect with and protect their kids online.

Sue Scheff: Guidance Counselors Helping Keep Students Safe Online

Many people know I highly recommend ReputationDefender not only for online reputation management, but for their services to protect children online and your privacy. Here is a great merge of two fantastic organization working towards helping teens, kids and all stay safe in space!

Source: ReputationDefender Blog

ReputationDefender and iKeepSafe Provide Online Reputation Resources to Guidance Counselors

ReputationDefender has been working with the Internet Keep Safe Coalition (iKeepSafe), a non-profit that works for the health and safety of youth online, to create resources that help guidance counselors educate kids in the US about how their online reputations can keep them safe, and help (rather than harm) their ability to get into college — Download ReputationDefender’s guide to keeping your kids safe online today!

iKeepSafe launched Project PRO (Privacy & Online Reputation) at this summer’s American School Counselors Association annual meeting in Dallas, TX. I’d like to send a special thank you to our reputation agents who contributed their expertise in creating the booklet, DVD and online materials (http://www.ikeepsafe.org/ASCA) that have now been distributed to educators nationwide.

Marsali Hancock, President of iKeepSafe, on the launch of Project PRO:

“What youth post online today directly impacts their future academic and employment opportunities. ReputationDefender has worked closely with iKeepSafe to develop content for school counselors that teaches students how to protect their privacy online, and help students create an online reputation that is an asset rather than a liability.

We are grateful for ReputationDefender’s support and for sharing their expertise about managing and building an online reputation that opens doors to future opportunities, rather than eliminating them.”

Concerned parents can also find helpful tips in these materials for ensuring the safety of their kids online, and try MyChild to combat the spread of potentially harmful information about their kids online. As always, we here at ReputationDefender recommend that you keep current with technology, keep communicating with your kids about what they’re doing online, and keep checking on their Internet activity. With a great online reputation, the sky is the limit for your kids!

ReputationDefender and iKeepSafe’s 3 Key Tips for Parents:

1. Keep Current with Technology: Talk to teachers about what forms of Internet safety tools they implement in computer labs and technology classes, consider these safety tools for home use, and stay up-to-date on the capabilities of any mobile devices your child may have.

2. Keep Communicating with Your Kids: Find out who your child talks to online, educate your kids about the permanence of any “digital footprints” they leave behind, limit the use of social networks, and make it a habit to engage your kids in critical conversation—the more you talk to your kids about their online usage, the more they will learn to use digital products in a safe and healthy manner.

3. Keep Checking Your Kid’s Internet Activity: Keep computers in a central public location, check your child’s browsing histories, and limit your child’s computer time—there’s a whole world of outdoor and offline activities where they should be involved!

Follow ReputationDefender on Twitter at @RepDef