Responsibility Blog

Click Here for Parental Peace of Mind

By Mike McKeehan | November 3, 2009

When I talk to parents about the Internet often one of the first topics to pop up is safety. Is my child safe online? How do I know that my child isn’t accessing inappropriate material? How much personal information is too much on a Facebook page?

In today’s ever evolving, wired world it’s easy for parents to feel a step behind their children when it comes to technology.

Luckily, many companies, parental advocates and law enforcement officials offer practical resources and continue to look for new ways to help parents learn simple steps to make their child’s online experience a positive one.

This week leaders in those fields will gather in Washington, D.C. for the Family Online Safety Institute’s (FOSI) two-day conference entitled “Building a Culture of Responsibility from Online Safety to Digital Citizenship.”

I will moderate a panel at FOSI on law enforcement trends and prevention initiatives. Panelists include the attorneys general of Washington and Rhode Island, Robert McKenna and Patrick Lynch; Sgt. Jim Smith, of CT Internet Crimes Against Children; Ann Harkins, of the National Crime Prevention Council; and Parry Aftab, of WiredSafety.

My colleague, Jack McArtney, who oversees advertising and content standards for Verizon, will serve on a panel entitled “Kids on the Go – Challenges Confronting Mobility.” He’ll highlight some common-sense steps parents can take to manage their child’s online experience.

Need a few tips? A great place to start is the Verizon Parental Control Center. The center has a host of free materials and videos on topics ranging from social networking, to safe surfing for kids, to cyberbullying.

Finding parental peace of mind in the digital world can be easier than you think.