Internet Safety, Part 1

Some of the most important things I learned from the videos and readings:

• Most of what I read and viewed, I was already aware of. However, this assignment was primarily a good reminder to me of the potential hazards of the Internet. It reminded me that the Internet is a massive tool in today's world and that it can have far-reaching effects on children and youth. People today literally have the world at their fingertips, along with dangerous chat rooms, pornography, and media messages. Even when avoiding these blatant evils, there are other damages the Internet can have on youth and children, especially getting addicted to it and losing the perspective of what is true reality.
• The featured PBS Frontline Documentary taught me that if many children and youth are left unmonitored in their Internet access, they are at risk of becoming involved in countless harmful activities. The Internet can be a wonderful positive tool in the home and at school; however, children and youth need supervision and guidance in this endeavor.
• I enjoyed Elder Ballard's talk, "Let Our Voices Be Heard," in which he says that the biggest challenge in media usage is "to choose wisely." If we do this, Elder Ballard agrees that the Internet can be a fabulous tool for learning and communication.

Ways my learning can influence others:

From everything I read and watched, here are three things I think every parent and educator should do to help make the Internet a safe and positive environment for youth and children:

1. Always keep the computer in a public environment - This action alone would have prevented some of the tragic stories shared on the PBS documentary. Although it is important to place trust in your children, I also believe parents have a responsibility to protect their children from a lot of the filth that can simply be happened upon on the Internet. Therefore, I think it is a very wise practice to keep the computer in a public environment. This is something Elder Ballard also suggests in his talk.
2. Discuss potential dangers of the Internet with children and youth - Make clear what information is and is not acceptable to share on social networking sites.
3. Bookmark the most common acceptable sites on the Internet and encourage children to follow the links.

One other thing I learned that can have a positive influence of family and friends is in the Ensign article about sharing the gospel through the Internet. In today's world, when people have questions, they most often turn to the Internet for answers. By blogging and sharing such things as Mormon Message videos, every Latter-Day Saint can have a positive impact on the church's online image. This is one way the Internet can be a powerful force for good, as it has the potential to share the gospel to a much larger audience.