TECHNOLOGY TIPS FOR SAFER, CONNECTED
AND PRODUCTIVE NEW SCHOOL YEAR
~ Onlinemom.com Founder
Teams with Windows 7 for Online Safety Tips ~
September 2011
(Redmond, WA) -- Students
are back in school, which means new classes, new friends
and ever-expanding social circles, both in the hallways
and online. Access to connectivity is much more prevalent
today, providing a broader perspective for students.
However, it also has risks, as evidenced by growing
concerns over cyber-bullying. In fact, Microsoft research
shows that 46 percent of students have been involved
in some type of cyber-bullying incident, sexting or
online harassment.
While Microsoft research shows
that 92 percent of parents have concerns about their
child's online safety, one in four parents admits to
never using tools or specific software to help keep
their child safe. Now Blogger, New York mom Monica Vila
is teaming with Microsoft to share tips and recommendations
on what students and parents can do to help make the
new school year fun, exciting and safer, which allows
every student the opportunity to reach their potential.
Vila reminds parents to make
sure the student has the latest technology possible,
such as Windows 7 and the latest updates to Windows
Live, which will include a range of safety tools and
features to help keep students and their information
safer and use tools to give parents the ability to filter
unwanted images and block offensive websites.
Other simple steps Vila recommendations
include:
-
Parents should know what kids are doing online,
since 20 percent of students spend 10-20 hours per
week online;
-
Parents and students should discuss what websites
are appropriate;
-
Remind students not to share personal information;
-
Students should someone if they are being harassed
online;
-
Only download files from a trusted source; and
-
Stay up-to-date with the latest security software
and browsers.
As the Chief Technology Mom
at The Online Mom, Monica understands how big a part
technology is in our daily lives and how it can affect
people. She also knows how it can help enrich experiences
for students and parents - empowering families to make
good decisions about their use of technology. Additional
information can be found at www.microsoft.com/protect.
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