Pure Minds Online | Issue 1 | October 2010 | Parenting in the Internet Age

Issue 1 - October 2010

Anonymous Questions Leave Kids Vulnerable on Formspring
Should You Be Afraid of Facebook Places?
Be Informed. Be Brave.
Finding Authentic Accountability

Anonymous Questions Leave Kids Vulnerable
on Formspring

Marvel Comics Uses Formspring to Answer Questions

Companies like Marvel Comics use Formspring to dialogue with their fans; however, teens often allow anonymous questions which can lead to cyberbullying.

By Sam Black

As a father, Jim Dorff was shocked at the cruel, degrading and sexual questions being thrown at his 13-year-old daughter, but for many kids the social Q&A website called Formspring is a common middle school exercise.

"It's toxic. It hurts kids mentally and emotionally," Dorff said. "Parents are ignorant about Formspring and they need to be aware of this website. Kids are being called a whore and a tramp, and the 'F-bomb' is everywhere. Don't even let your kids get near it."

Dorff had been clueless about his daughter's use of Formspring until she spent the night with a friend whose family uses Covenant Eyes and she accessed her account. When shown the pages of ruthless comments, Dorff had a difficult time understanding why his daughter and her friends would expose themselves to such hurtful words. Read more...

Did you know?

Americans aged 13 to 24 spend over 20 hours a week surfing the Internet.

Covenant Eyes has created a new e-book, Parenting the Internet Generation: 7 Potential Threats and 7 Habits for Internet Safety.
Click here to download it for free!

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	Should You Be Afraid of Facebook Places?
		By Luke Gilkerson Facebook Places is the newest app for Smartphone users that allows you to mark your current location on planet Earth. Similar to Gowalla or FourSquare, this geo-location service allows you to "check in" at a location and broadcast that information to other Places users. Not only can you tag yourself at a current location, but your Facebook friends can tag you as well. Whether you check in yourself or are tagged by someone else, your physical location is published on your Facebook newsfeed for all your network to see. For many, the appeal of apps like Places is that it is a facilitator of what Facebook calls "serendipitous meetings." By checking in on Places you can be notified when your friend is only a block away, or you can let your friends know when you are hanging out at the park. Facebook Places is not an automatic tracker, broadcasting your location at all times. It only says where you are when you "check in" or are tagged by someone else. So what's the fear? Read more...

	Be Informed. Be Brave. Parenting Kids in the Internet Age.
		By Luke Gilkerson Kids and teens are "digital natives." Parents are usually not. Children are growing up online. Digital media is the air they breathe. 70% of America's young people use the Internet daily. Teens spend an average of 31 hours a week online-that's almost a full time job. For many parents, the Internet is a thing of utility. For their kids, the Internet is a place for community. These facts would not matter much to parents if using the Internet was not such a solitary activity. Nearly half of family members surveyed say they feel ignored because another member of their household spends too much time online. In addition, the Internet provides a cloak of secrecy for kids to see or seek out all kinds of inappropriate material. By age 18, at least 90% of boys and 60% of girls have seen Internet porn, and for the vast majority of boys these are not limited to brief encounters. Read more...

	Finding Authentic Accountability
		By Luke Gilkerson Accountability is a buzzword in churches today. To some adults, accountability denotes a staunchy legalism, an unnecessary prop that blemishes authentic freedom from sin. To others, this habit of regularly bringing their struggles before others is their lifeline to purity. What is authentic accountability and how is it a God-given means to bring about change in our lives? Read more...