Comic tackles issues of exploitation in cyberspace
Lisa Hrabluk
Province
Kids’ Internet Safety Alliance has partnered with Nelvana to create a cyber-safety comic featuring characters from YTV’s hit show Grossology.
Today’s children need to be Web smart and street smart because there are just as many dangers waiting for them online as there are outside their door.
Teaching children and teens to protect their personal information and to be careful about what they share online and with whom is key to keeping them safe.
However, blanket statements, such as “don’t talk to strangers,” won’t work for children and teens who are immersed in an interactive world, whether through social-networking sites, such as Club Penguin and Facebook, or involved in multiplayer online role-playing games, such as World of Warcraft and EVE Online.
“The social web is all about sharing information and making friends online,” said Cathy Wing, coexecutive director of the Media Awareness Network (www.media-awareness.ca), a pioneering Canadian non-profit organization that promotes media and Internet awareness.
“It’s important for adults to know what kind of socialization is happening. Kids don’t understand the power of a permanent record, something that can be seen by so many people in such a public way.”
About 94 per cent of young Canadians access the Internet from home and children as young as Grade 4 are exploring social roles, connecting to friends and developing social networks online, according to a 2005 Media Awareness Network study, Young Canadians in a Wired World.
Wing recommends parents talk
to their children about Web use, including establishing specific rules about Internet use and teaching children critical thinking about the information they view and exchange online.
“Rules make a big difference in kids’ behaviour even up to Grade 11,” said Wing, who said the network has paired up with Telus to offer Web-awareness seminars to its employees.
“We asked kids to articulate a positive online experience and the statement ‘my parents would approve of this site’ rated quite high.”
But advocates for safe surfing agree that the best way for parents and guardians to keep kids safe is to know what they’re doing online.
The Media Awareness Network offers parents guidelines on raising media and Internet savvy kids through its Web Aware program (www.bewebaware.ca).
It’s not alone. The Kids’ Internet Safety Alliance, a Canadian volunteer-run advocacy group, has partnered with Canadian children’s entertainment company Nelvana to launch Web of Deception, a cyber-safety comic book featuring the characters from the YTV show Grossology.
KINSA is particularly concerned with preventing the online exploitation of children and a significant portion of its efforts involves lobbying governments for stronger legislation and to raise awareness of safety issues with kids, parents, teachers, business people and legislators.
“The Internet is huge,” said KINSA vice-chairman Michael Ras.
“Police can’t do it alone, an educator can’t teach them everything and a parent can’t watch the content all the time, but if we all get together we can get something done.”
Go to the KINSA website at www.kinsa.net.
© The Vancouver Province 2008
