Internet Safety Reflection & PLE wk 14

PLE: YES, I completed tasks 1-3!

1. For the article of my choice, I selected "Leave it Alone" by Elder Peterson (I found the article under the 'Media' section). He boldly counsels individuals to have the courage to walk away from inappropriate media because it causes "the light inside of us to grow dimmer because the darkness inside increases."
2. I watched numerous video resources: several short clips from Netsmartz, the BYU cartoon, all three videos from Frontline PBS Documentary and "Katie's Story" under WebWiseKids. Most of the videos talked about online predators, but one tragic video was about a boy who committed suicide who had been a victim of cyberbullying. The videos also interviewed some of the parents, and the reactions were varied: one mother was overly concerned and involved to the point that she was pushing her children away; one dad admitted to being in the dark about his son's habits online; one couple took the recommended approach to get involved and help inform their daughter without sounding unreasonable and offensive.
3. In Elder Ballard's address, he made it clear that we are not to avoid all media; rather, we need to choose wisely what we view. Unfortunately, as Elder Ballard states "the family is the main target of evil's attack," and we are seeing this being demonstrated through media: pornography and television shows/movies that mock the traditional family but encourage sexual relationships outside of marriage are only a few examples. Therefore, he also encourages all of us to take a stand! We should not support inappropriate media at all, but should speak out against it! We should be very aware of the media being viewed within our families and make specific accommodations.
Similarly, Elder Bednar was very passionate about warning us against cyberspace. He too emphasized that technology can certainly be a great tool, but he sited several examples of how getting too involved in cyberspace creates a new reality for us that is really not reality at all. We need to set our priorities straight and make sure we are spending our valuable time in the real world, having real-life experiences with our beloved friends and family. The videos I watched certainly support his statements. Several of these girls were spending hours and hours on the internet, being pulled into chat rooms, etc. that were essentially, pulling them away from reality. They were in too deep to realize that their "online boyfriends" were really predators.
Concerning pornography, we have been given many guidelines to protect our family against pornography: keep computers in high-traffic areas of the home; install a filtering program; openly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the internet and discuss ways to prevent hazards from occurring; etc. etc. These guidelines are not only important to protect against pornography, but also against cyberbullying and online predators. All of the youth that were getting into trouble had computers in their rooms and were spending countless hours on the internet. They were uninformed or in denial about the dangers that were happening and did not inform their parents about the things they were doing.
Brother Graham's article calls for parents to be aware and informed about the popular technologies of the day. In addition, they need to set examples for their children and make family relationships a priority so children will not have to rely on virtual relationships. He also emphasized that it is the responsibility of the parents to protect their families against the dangers of technology. While it is their responsbility, the videos I watched made me realize that I cannot go to the opposite extreme either. If I do, my children will become offensive and closed off.
4. For this assignment, I interviewed my mother, and I was already aware that she knew most of what I was telling her. Growing up, my brother and I were not allowed to have computers in our room; we had one family computer in our living room and the rule was set that we were not allowed to be on the computer when no one was home; we had several internet filters; my mom got reports through aol of the activity of our accounts; etc. However, she did not try to ban us from using the computer or IM'ing our friends. She never asked for my password or tried to hack into my email account (like a few of my friends' parents). She was reasonable and therefore, we had no need to rebel.
So most of what I shared with my mother simply reinforced her viewpoints. She was, however, surprised to hear about the serious nature of cyberbullying. Like many parents, she has always been very cautious of online predators, but did not realize just how cruel kids can be with cyberbullying. Like myself, she was also surprised at some of the choices these girls (the ones in the videos) were making when they would decide to actually meet up and run away with the older men they were meeting online.
I was actually surprised with how much my mom knows about facebook (knows a lot of the lingo); she attended a fireside for parents concerning internet safety, especially about facebook. With the knowledge she learned there, as well as what I have told her, I think she will make an effort to make sure other parents are informed. I am her youngest child, but she is the Young Women's President in our ward and is very concerned about keeping "her girls" safe!