Whole Kids Project

Is Your Child Addicted to the Internet?

I just received this from the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families and thought I would share it.

From an article by Luke Gilkerson of Covenant Eyes, an Internet filtering and accountability product for families and organizations:

So how can you, as a parent, know if your child is developing an Internet addiction?

• Have you noticed an increased amount of time on the computer? Does your child seem to crave more and more time online?

• Is there an air of privacy around Internet use? Maybe you've walked in on your teen with the computer screen turned away from the door. When you come close to the computer, do you notice your teen quickly shifting what is visible on the screen? Do they shut off the computer or screen altogether? Do you often find the door to the computer room locked?

• Are they defensive and protective about their time online? Maybe you've confronted them about the amount of time they spend online and have been met with anger or frustration.

• Are they neglecting time with family, chores, or school work?

• Have you noticed personality changes? Do they seem irritable until they get online? Do they seem to have a sense of "well-being" while on the computer? Do they seem restless, moody, or depressed if their Internet use is cut short? Internet addictions have a way of engulfing someone emotionally.

• Is there a change in sleep patterns? Have you ever caught your teen on the computer late at night or early in the morning? Often the largest bulk of free time to use the Internet is at night.

• Have you noticed physical symptoms such as dry eyes, migraine headaches, backaches, eating irregularities (skipping meals), neglecting personal hygiene, etc.? These can be signs of too much time spent at the computer.

Where do you start if you think your child has a problem? While these are all possible indicators of an Internet addiction, in the end the best way to know if your child has developed an addiction is to engage in open and honest communication with your teen. As one expert writes, "A warm and communicative parent-child relationship is the most important nontechnical means that parents can use to deal with the challenges of the sexualized media environment" (Patricia M. Greenfield, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology).

Be practical about avoiding Internet addiction. Keep the lines of communication open about the expectation of Internet use. Set guidelines early and stick to them. Put the computer in a more central and open location so you can more easily monitor how it is used. Teach responsible online behavior: show your children the great benefits of the Internet while showing them how to balance their time—online and off-line.

New Book Disputes Video Gaming and Violence Link

A new book by two Harvard University researchers is disputing the causal relationship between video gaming and violence.

Via Reuters:

Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl Olson, a husband-and-wife team at Harvard Medical School, detail their views in "Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do", which came out last month and promises to reshape the debate on the effects of video games on kids.

"What I hope people realize is that there is no data to support the simple-minded concerns that video games cause violence," Kutner told Reuters.

The pair reached that conclusion after conducting a two-year study of more than 1,200 middle-school children about their attitudes towards video games.

The article continues:

But the data did show a link between playing mature-rated games and aggressive behavior. The researchers found that 51 percent of boys who played M-rated games -- the industry's equivalent of an R-rated movie, meaning suitable for ages 17 and up -- had been in a fight in the past year, compared to 28 percent of non-M-rated gamers.

The pattern was even stronger among girls, with 40 percent of those who played M-rated games having been in a fight in the past year, compared to just 14 percent for non-M players.

One of the most surprising things was how popular mature games were among girls. In fact, the "Grand Theft Auto" crime action series was the second-most played game behind "The Sims", a sort of virtual dollhouse.

Kutner and Olson said further study is needed because the data shows only a correlation, not causation. It is unclear whether the games trigger aggression or if aggressive children are drawn to more violent games.

"It's still a minority of kids who play violent video games a lot and get into fights. If you want a good description of 13-year-old kids who play violent video games, it's your local soccer team," Olson said.

The researchers also try to place video games in a larger context of popular culture. The anxiety many parents voice over video games largely mirrors the concerns raised when movies, comic books and television became popular.

"One thing I like about their approach is that they've tried to historicize the whole concept of a media controversy and that we've seen this before," said Ian Bogost, a professor at Georgia Tech known for his studies on video games.

I understand that for researchers a cause and effect link is important.

However, as a parent, I am more than satisfied with the correlation between gaming and violent behavior as being evidence enough that violent video game play is bad for our kids.

Take a look at the games your children are playing and make the decision yourself- do these games reflect your family's values and do they promote the values you want your children to learn?  You need to make the decision.

Action Alert: Video Game Ratings Enforcement Act

Via the Parent's Television Council:

STOP THE SALE OF ADULT VIDEO GAMES TO CHILDREN WITHOUT PARENTAL APPROVAL

Utah Congressman Jim Matheson and Nebraska Congressman Lee Terry recently introduced the bipartisan Video Game Ratings Enforcement Act in the House of Representatives. This bill will require retailers to check identification in order to keep adult-rated video games from being sold to children.

The proposed legislation codifies the video game industry’s own voluntary policies and will ensure better enforcement by requiring all retailers to check IDs from any child trying to buy or rent Mature (M)-rated or Adult-Only (AO) rated games. It does not limit adults’ access to any games they want to buy for themselves or for their children – it merely helps ensure that children can only access age appropriate video games if they are accompanied by an adult.

Please take action today by asking your representatives to support this bill.

Two key points here: this adds some teeth to the policies that the video game industry has already adopted and the proposed law does not seek to ban or restrict adults from purchasing any games.

This law would help parents who wish to limit their kid's access to certain games by making retailers accountable.

Please click here to send your Representative a message urging support of this bill.

Creating a "Safe Corner" on the Web

The Wall St. Journal's Walter Mossberg reviews a new product that helps parents create a safer surfing environment for their kids:

This week marks the launch of a parental-control service with a somewhat different approach. It's called KidZui, and it aims to offer kids a safe subset of the Internet where they can roam freely without triggering parental worry. KidZui, for children ages 3 to 12, hopes to emphasize the positive, rather than the negative.

The service, from a San Diego company of the same name, claims to encompass 500,000 safe sites, photos and videos, ranging from pop culture to science, comics and games to history. You can watch the latest "American Idol" contestant, learn about dinosaurs, delve into history or visit popular kids' sites, such as Webkinz and Club Penguin.

The sites, photos and videos included in KidZui are approved by a team of about 200 parents and teachers across the country, and are ranked by age, so that a site that might be right for an 11-year-old isn't served up to a 4-year-old.

While a child can establish a list of friends in KidZui, and can share content with them, there is no instant-messaging or email function.

KidZui isn't free, and it can't be accessed via a regular Web browser. Instead, you must download a special KidZui browser, from kidzui.com, that runs on either Windows or Macintosh computers. I tested it on both platforms, and it downloaded quickly and installed smoothly.

The service nominally costs $99.95 a year, or $9.95 a month, but there is a 30-day free trial and an introductory rate of $49.95 a year, or $4.95 a month. It has no ads, other than those already present on Web sites kids visit.

Read the entire review here.

Visit kidzui.com.

For Teachers: Reporting Child Abuse

One of our readers posted a thoughtful comment regarding a site that aids teachers in recognizing signs of child abuse and in talking with a suspected victim.

The tool was developed by a 26-year veteran of the Lakeville, Minnesota police department:

Mike Server realized that although teachers were the most likely professionals to see the signs of child abuse, they were often under-prepared to report child abuse. Not only were they confused about the statutory reporting requirements, but they did not know how to avoid the pitfalls of talking with a fearful, confused and withdrawn child.

"With the best of intentions," says Mike, "a teacher may take the wrong approach with an abused child, and that child may physically and emotionally withdraw for months. Or the child may distort her story to fit what she thinks the teacher wants to hear. Or the true facts may be so compromised that any investigation will be unable to discover the truth and bring justice and resolution to the child's situation."

We felt that Mike's site should receive greater exposure than it would receive in the comments area. 

So, here is a link to Hownottotalk.com.

The site offers a free trial of the tool.  If an educator purchases the course they are eligible to receive CEU professional development credits.