Dear Friend,
National Family Month begins this month. This five-week period between Mother's Day and Father's Day has been distinguished by Congress as a time to recognize the importance of children and families to the future of our country. During this time, many of our nation's families will be preparing for the end of the school year, providing increased opportunities for parents, grandparents and all caring adults to play a more consistent role in the physical, emotional and virtual health and welfare of their children.
Texting, online gaming, and using social networking sites and other social sites, such as YouTube and blogs, are among the most common activity for today's children and adolescents. Recently, a new study from the American Academy of Pediatrics emerged examining the impact of social media and social networking on children, adolescents and families. The study highlighted that children and adolescents may face amplified risks when they navigate and experiment with social media. Such risks include cyberbullying, sexting, privacy concerns, and a new phenomenon called "Facebook depression", whereby the intensity of the online world is thought to trigger depression, social isolation and youth risky behaviors. When parents, educators and other caring adults are involved in children and adolescents' online lives, these risks are significantly reduced. Every child and adolescent needs a digital mentor or parent so they can enjoy the educational, collaborative, entertainment and communications benefits of the social web.
There is no better time than the present to play an active role to help your kids enjoy the many benefits of the social web, free from the dangers. As we continue to mentor children and teens around us we must remember that their online and offline worlds are merging and there must be a proper balance of virtual play, physical play, and relationship building.
During this year's National Family Month, we have a few simple steps you can take to become educated, equipped and empowered to protect your kids as they navigate the social web:
1. Learn more about the issue. Do you really understand the basics of social networking? Remember, popular sites like Facebook require users to be at least 13 years old to become a member. There are also sites available for younger children such as Club Penguin and Togetherville. Visit our site to learn about the benefits and dangers of social networking and to get equipped with basic tips to help you parent online.
2. Learn about the safety measures needed to protect your kids. You can download our free Internet Safety 101SM Rules & Tools® Checklist today to learn about the non-technical rule parents should follow and the technical tools (parental controls) available to support you and protect your kids.
3. Order our program for yourself or share our resource with a friend, your community, or your library. The Internet Safety 101SM Program is the nation's only comprehensive, multi-media adult Internet safety education resource available. The program provides parents, educators and other caring adults with the knowledge and resources needed to protect kids from the dangers of online pornography, sexual predators, cyberbullies and dangers related to social networking, online gaming and mobile devices.
4. Join a social media site like Facebook and become a fan of Enough Is Enough. The more familiar you are with the social networking sites your teens frequent, the better equipped you will be to provide guidance and an appropriate level of supervision as your teens grow and learn in the social web.
For the Sake of the Children,
Donna Rice Hughes
President, Enough Is Enough
______________________________________________________
Enough Is Enough 'In the News'
EIE President Donna Rice Hughes Joined the TODAY Show with Kathie Lee & Hoda
April 05, 2011
EIE President Donna Rice Hughes joined Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb on the to discuss privacy in the digital age and to educate parents to protect their kids on the social web. (Read more)
EIE Communications Director Cris Clapp Logan joins CNN HLN
March 23, 2011
EIE Communications Director Cris Clapp Logan joined the Jane Valez-Mitchell show to talk about an Internet predator sex sting and what parents need to know to protect their kids.
EIE President Donna Rice Hughes joins TODAY Show with Matt Lauer
March 04, 2011
EIE President Donna Rice Hughes joined Matt Lauer on the Today Show to talk about parenting in the digital age. (Read more)
Enough is Enough Press Statements & Announcements
EIE President Donna Rice Hughes Commentary: New York Public Library: Our of Touch with the Public and the Law
April 28, 2011
A fistfight between an impatient person and a porn-viewing patron at the Brooklyn Public Library has reignited an old debate regarding whether adults should have free and easy access to hardcore pornography, or illegal adult pornography, known under the law as obscenity, at their local public library. EIE President Donna Rice Hughes says the New York Public Library must do more to protect children and adult library patrons from hardcore content. (Read More)
Commissioner Nancy L. Robers, National President of the Women's Ministries with the National Salvation Army, Joins EIE Board of Directors
April 7, 2011, Reston, VA
Enough Is Enough is proud to announce that Commissioner Nancy L. Roberts, National President of Women's Ministries with The Salvation Army, will be joining the Enough Is Enough Board of Directors. (Read More)
EIE Releases Predator 101 Videos on YouTube
March 24th, 2011
EIE launched five exclusive video vignettes from its award-winning Internet Safety 101 multi-media teaching series. The Internet Safety 101 program was designed to educate, equip and empower parents, educators and other caring adults with the knowledge and resources to protect the children under their care from dangers including Internet pornography, sexual predators, cyberbullying and risks associated with social networking, online gaming, and mobile devices. The Predator 101 Video Vignettes feature compelling testimonies and advice from top law enforcement personnel, parents, technology experts, teens, a survivor of a sexual predator and even a convicted sex offender. (Read More)
EIE Partners with David Schwimmer & "TRUST"
March 21, 2011
Enough Is Enough serves as the key Internet safety partner on the film "Trust", Directed by David Schwimmer (formerly the star of hit sitcom Friends). This powerful movie chronicles the story of Annie (Liana Liebrato) as she forms an online relationship with Charlie, whom she initially believes to be a sixteen-year-old boy, and her parents' (Academy Award® nominees Clive Owen and Catherine Keener) nightmare discovery that their daughter was victimized by an Internet predator. (Read more)
Enough Is Enough Recent Events
Get Schooled: Kids & Cyber Security, The United States Department of State
Washington, DC
May 3, 2011
EIE President Donna Rice Hughes joined the Dr. Sharon Cooper (Forensic Pediatrician), Amanda Lenhart (Director of Pew's Internet & American Life Project) and Michele Ybarra (President & Research Director, ISK) in an event hosted by the U.S. State Department titled 'Get Schooled: Kids & Cyber Security'. The event was open to State Department and other Agency employees and focuses on providing personnel with critical research, prevention techniques and education about the dangers and safety solutions to protect kids online.
Convergence Summit: Uniting Leaders to Combat Sexual Exploitation in the Mobile Age
Linthicum, MD
April 13, 2011
EIE President Donna Rice Hughes presented Internet Safety 101SM at this year's Convergence Summit, a Conference focused on developing solutions to the emerging challenges of educating and protecting young people and families from the harms of sexually graphic content and sexual exploitation through mobile devices and applications.
Internet Safety 101 Parent Training
Lexington, MA
April 5, 2011
EIE Communications Director Cris Clapp Logan educated parents, educators and community members about protecting children from the online dangers of pornography, sexual predators, cyberbullies and threats relating to social networking, online gaming and mobile devices.
National Symposium on Child Abuse: Internet Safety 101 Teaching
Huntsville, AL
March 30, 2011
EIE President Donna Rice Hughes guided participants at the 27th National Symposium on Child Abuse through how to protect children from online pornography, sexual predators and cyberbullies, as well as provided information about keeping kids safe on social networking sites, gaming sites and mobile devices.
Internet Safety 101 Training, Immanuel Christian School
Springfield, VA
March 29, 2011
EIE Communications Director Cris Clapp Logan joined Immanuel Christian School to lead an Internet Safety 101SM training for their parents, educators and community members. Participants learned how to protect children from online pornography, sexual predators, cyberbullies and how to keep kids safe while using social networking sites, online gaming devices and mobile phones.
Enough Is Enough Upcoming Events
ICAC National Conference
San Jose, CA
May 18, 2011
EIE President Donna Rice Hughes will be training Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Officers at the ICAC National Conference.
AACC Counsel Talk Webinar
June 13-14, 2011
EIE President Donna Rice Hughes will be joining Mark Laaser and Joshua Straub to present in this American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) Webinar entitled: Social Media, Reality TV, Sex and Relationships: Counseling and Ministering in Today's Generation. This program offers continuing education and general information to AACC members and other publics. The event will be held from 6-9pm EST.
