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Wed
Nov 23, '11
0
Cyberbullying - What to do? Act.
Bullies have been around as long as schools. The Internet has created a whole new playground where bullies roam. Cyberbullying—bullying through online means—is now increasing at an alarming rate.
Parents should take precautions to protect children from cyberbullies. But, if cyberbullying does occur, it is imperative you act quickly and decisively to deal with and to overcome the negative impact it can have on your child. Email, chat and social media are the usual places where cyberbullying occurs.
For example, if your online Internet safety tool, such as Net Nanny, sends an alert of a potential cyberbullying incident, you should act quickly. Remember, the Internet is "on" continually. Things can happen fast. You should act as quickly as the Internet.
Here are five suggestions if you are alerted to a cyberbullying incident:- Address it immediately. Speak frankly and openly about the incident with your child to get all the details. Don’t hesitate to ask direct and detailed questions.
- Ask about history. Determine if this is the first time for the incident or if it has been an on-going problem.
- Get a clear understanding of your child’s feelings. Is your child annoyed or scared? Does your child feel threatened? Is your child contemplating extreme or dangerous actions such as retaliation or even suicide? Understanding their feelings will help you determine the urgency of the problem.
- Create a plan with your child. Your plan will help resolve the problem with your child and literally with the bully. Your plan might include speaking with school officials in dealing with the issue, or changing user names and passwords for your child’s online profile, or even speaking with the parents of the bully.
- If the incident warrants, seek professional medical help or counseling for your child. If you suspect any kind of criminal activity, contact local law enforcement.
Our company supports parents, school officials, government agencies and corporations in doing everything possible to protect the rights of school children. For more information go to www.NetNanny.com.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etcLACqSt9w -
Tue
Nov 22, '11
0
Facebook Spamming
The graphic sexual and violent spam that filled 800 million Facebook users’ pages recently has people on edge. Some users even threaten to delete their account for good. And who could blame them?
My aunt recounted a similar story of distress last week that involved my 15-year old cousin. She said that one evening she received a phone call from one of her neighbors. The mother of four told her to rush to the computer because pornographic videos were displayed on my 15-year-old cousin’s Facebook page. My aunt became alarmed.
She logged on to Facebook to find a pornographic video on her daughter’s Facebook page. It even had thumbs up saying that she liked it. Distraught and confused, my aunt turned to her 15-year-old daughter and asked “Did you post this?
My cousin, with tears in her eyes, said “No, Mom. I would never! Her Facebook page had been hacked.
Millions of others can tell their tragic story of pornographic hacking. The worst part is that innocent teenagers, like my cousin, who don’t want to view pornography, aren’t always protected by being on “safe sites. Web surfers stumble upon questionable material and the statistic is that just after 20 minutes of exposure to pornography, a person can become addicted.
How can you protect your family?
Circumstances arise that are beyond your control, such as the Facebook spamming, leave you no choice but to have a good defense. If my cousin’s computer had had an internet filter on it, her mother wouldn’t have had to see the pornography on her Facebook page.
I just recently downloaded Net Nanny on my laptop. I’m a college student, but after hearing all of the horrible stories of Facebook hacking and seeing the affect on those around me, I’m thrilled that I can protect myself from any unwanted websites. Net Nanny blocks pornographic images, “hate sites, questionable chat rooms and other dangers of the Internet. www.netnanny.com
Here are some tips on how to stay safe on Facebook.- Ensure FB is not whitelisted in your Admin settings.
- If you have a doubt, don't click it. If it's important enough, your friends will tell you about it anyway.
- Clean out the friends you added but don't know who they are. Only add people you know and trust.
- Share these tips with your kids.
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Fri
Nov 18, '11
0
Does Your Spouse Have a Pornography Addiction?
Friends and family gathered around your house to celebrate your 10th wedding anniversary last week. You have three children who are growing up fast, two already in grade school. Life is crazy, but very fulfilling. You decide to go out with some girl friends for the evening, leaving your husband to put the kids to bed.
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Wed
Nov 16, '11
0
Keeping the Web Safe for Kids, Parents and Professionals Alike: The Mission of Russ Warner
On November 15, our CEO, Russ Warner, participated in a live radio broadcast about his mission: Keeping the Web Safe for Kids, Parents and Professionals Alike.
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Mon
Nov 7, '11
0
Recovery from Sex Addiction is Not Easy
Based on the information Nina Laltrello shared with us last night in our webinar, sex addiction can be one of the most difficult addictions to overcome. Elevated dopamine levels actually rewire the brain, breaking down the decision making processes in the brain. Seeking the same high becomes more frustrating while people go to greater extremes. Without incorporating new behaviors that rewire the neuron circuitry, recovery is next to impossible.
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Thu
Nov 3, '11
2
Webinar: Addressing Porn Addiction in the Family. An Interview with Nina Laltrello
We will be interviewing family therapist, Nina Laltrello, about her unique perspective on technology, pornography, and the family.
Nina will share her insights on Internet porn addiction from a scientific and clinical perspective, offering evidence to the damaging effects overexposure can have on the human mind and relationships. She will also offer pointers on how to address porn addiction in the home, how to lend support to those who are addicted, and how to most effectively identify and combat the addiction.
We are very excited to share this information with you and know you will find it valuable. At the end of the interview, there will be time for Q/A so you can get your questions answered. Please join us for the webinar by following the link below:- https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/863792806
- Date: November 6
- Time: 6:30 PM, MST
Guest blog posting
www.sexaddicttherapist.com
Spread the word!
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Wed
Nov 2, '11
0
Pornography Addiction Self-Test
The American Society for Addiction Medicine says addiction is "about brains…it's about underlying neurology, not outward actions." In simple terms, we all have reward circuitry in our brains that make food and sex rewarding. This is a survival mechanism.
In a healthy brain, the food and sex rewards have feedback mechanisms for knowing you'd had enough. For an addict, dysfunction causes the message to become ‘I want more.' This leads to the pursuit of rewards and/or relief through abuse. Internet pornography, unlike the girly magazines from the past, has the power to override natural satiety mechanisms in many brains. This increases the risk of addiction-related brain changes.
With respect to pornography, it's not about the time spent viewing or what you're looking at that determines whether your brain has changed. Instead, watch for these signs:- Inability to refrain from viewing
- Impaired impulse control
- Craving
- Diminished grasp of one's problems
- Problematic emotional responses
Some of the questions are not those you might normally associate with pornography addiction and relate to an addicts social interaction, loneliness, feelings of self worth, procrastination, self-motivation, anxiety, and more. Pornography has far-reaching effects. -
Mon
Oct 31, '11
0
The Deep View
I got away from the big city this weekend to visit my son and his family in a small town, way out in the countryside and miles from the big city lights. And saw for the first time in a long time there are stars out there; millions of them! I know this is no news to anyone, and to me either, but when you don’t see what is out there because of the light pollution of the Big City, it is easy to forget.
It got me remembering a fantastic image from the Hubble Ultra Deep Field study which selected a small section of the sky, which to the unaided eye appears to be an area almost devoid of stars. With the Hubble’s intense gaze staring at this apparently empty spot in the sky for about 400 orbits, it in fact contains thousands of galaxies. That image altered my entire perception of the universe.
In not quite so cosmic a scope, this got me thinking of the scope and scale of what we deal with in the internet on a day-to-day basis. Like the stars and galaxies, which has both beauty and danger in nebulae and black holes, the internet hosts its own versions of the same. For every search and link that finds an image of a wonder like the Hubble Ultra Deep Field study, there are at least as many which I would not dare to tread. And I would especially not want my children or grand children (yes, I am that old) to venture there either.
One of the nice things about working where I do, is that I am given a bit of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field view, but of the Internet, not of the stars. And the work we do makes it a little easier for people, at their work or at home, to visit the stars and galaxies of the Internet without falling into a nova or black hole.
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Wed
Oct 26, '11
0
TV Interview with Our CEO, Russ Warner
Via KSL News Yesterday -
Tue
Oct 25, '11
0
Kids Need Focus Too
You know what I'm talking about, the inexplicable feeling of being locked behind mounds of tasks piling over you. The outdoors is that thing beyond the pane of glass, moving like a magic picture—constantly reminding you where you are not. Friends and family are those things that distract you from your ever mounting task list, and the phone is that demon which can take seconds from your day.
When this thought process happens, it's time for a break, especially from technology. The LCD lights behind our monitors, tablets, and phones can hypnotize us into believing that all which matters in the world is what crosses that very screen when, actually, what matters more is what crosses your path in the family room.
You don't need me to tell you this. Work/life balance has been the subject of watery-eye dramas and after-school specials for decades. What our kids might not realize, however, is that this very lesson applies to their own tech-savvy lives.
The danger of kids spending too much time in front of a screen include, but is not limited to, believing in a world that only exists in a 22 screen. When Facebook posts seem larger than life, could it be because this is what life looks like to our youth?
If balancing work and life is difficult for adults, it only stands to reason that balancing technology and life is near impossible for youth. Hence the reason to help kids experience more than just the keyboard in the den. Here are some tips to help your kids get off the computer.- Implement time controls: This may seem a little Machiavellian, but if a child knows they are limited, they are more likely to use the computer as a tool and not a pastime.
- Recognize and encourage developing talents: An idle mind is the devil's playground, but giving kids something they love to do (other than the latest Facebook game), will make it easier for you to get them off the computer.
- Watch yourself: Could your kids be following your example? Or could you make an effort to spend more time with your kids? Monkey see, monkey do.
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