Kids Safety
Snapchat Sued for Exposing Kids to Media Partners’ “Sexually Offensive Content”
Snapchat might no longer be the choice app for sexting, but a new lawsuit accuses the sharing service of an “an insidious pattern and practice of intentionally exposing minors to harmful, offensive, prurient and sexually offensive content, without warning minors or their parents that they would be exposed to such explicit content.”
Eriq Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter
Parents don’t see children at risk from online marketing, study says
Across Europe, children do not receive an equal level of protection from the adverse effects of online marketing due to different marketing regulations to children between countries and parents’ different models of oversight of their kids’ online activities.
A study funded by the European Commission examined 25 of the most popular online games and discovered that all ‘advergames’, all social media games and half of games provided through popular application platforms contained embedded or contextual advertisements. The exposure to prompts to make in-app purchases in mobile games has a significant impact on a child’s purchasing behaviour.
Danielle Correa, Production Editor, SC Magazine UK
Cyberpsychology unlocks why kids overshare online
Despite having a seemingly comprehensive computing curriculum that covers aspects of online safety, from responsible to respectful use of technology, I think we have an issue on our hands: something isn’t connecting with our young people when it comes to staying safe online.
When I speak to colleagues from different settings, we all seem pretty confident that our children know how to stay safe but, in many instances, they don’t. Why?
Claire Lotriet, TES
Too much internet time is bad for kids
With the advancement of online technology, kids are spending countless hours a day on the internet. This not only puts them at risk for being taking advantage of by predators, but also can cause concerning developmental issues.
“There are a lot of good things about the internet, but there’s also a lot of risk that comes along with it as well,” says Kerri Spitzer, clinical care counselor at the Family Guidance Center. “There’s a lot of developmental issues affecting the way their brains are developing. It’s affecting their physical health because they’re not being as active.”
News-Press NOW
US children increasingly being exposed to ‘virtual violence’, need stricter parental control: AAP
The American Academy of Pediatrics has published a statement in which it calls for stricter parental regulation of children’s exposure towards violent media. The AAP mentioned that more number of US children is getting exposed to virtual violence- first-person shooter games and other realistic video games.
The statement titled, ‘The Evolution of Virtual Violence: How Mobile Screens Provide Windows to Real Violence’ claims that virtual violence leads to aggressive thoughts, feelings and behaviors. The AAP has not asked for stricter parental control, but also suggested the entertainment industry that it should stop glamorizing weapons and stop rewarding human deaths.
PERFSCIENCE
Keeping kids safe online
Online safety should never be underestimated. Especially when it comes to keeping children safe on the internet. It’s not just that children can easily access almost any material online, from cartoons to porn. It’s also that children can be easily exposed, through no fault of their own, to so many potential dangers: cyberbullying, violence, stalkers… The list could go on.
The Hindu
