Are Parents Being Misinformed of Online Dangers?
December 10th, 2008 by Kiwi Commons
According to three quarters of mothers polled by Harris Interactive, they are just as worried about their child’s safety online as much as they are about drunk drivers and drug experimentation.
Though there is no way to compare the three said issues, the reason why this statistic is so important is the fact that these mothers’ are so passionate about it, even though much of the statistics on the news are inflamed by the media. This isn’t to say all statistics are embellished but in some cases they are; as a means to create a bigger issue or sell a specific product like parental online safety software.
In this case, the groups’ perception of internet danger has been heightened due to programs like “Catch a Predator,” which reported that one in five children have been sexually solicited by a predator. What they don’t know is that (possibly) most of those solicitations were from other teens and not from adult predators. In the same study, 1,500 of the students easily and effectively handled the solicitation, with only two not knowing how to deal with it.
The point of this is to remind you not to take everything at face value. As consumers we are bombarded with advertising and statistics on a regular basis so before you process it as accurate, like the report by
“Catch a Predator,” take a moment to question the possible motive for stretching the truth in one direction over another. In all honesty, when was the last time you had time to spend investigating into research?
Posted in Internet Safety | 
news, predators & exploitation |
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