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Not among friendsDIXON, Nov 13, 2010 (Daily Gazette - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The explosion of social networks makes it easier than ever to find friends. But it also opens the door to enemies, and trouble. Social network websites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube have an estimated 500 million users. "Of the 500 million friends, how many do you know?" Dixon Police Chief Dan Langloss said. It's a question that parents and teachers need to be asking kids -- teens and pre-teens -- Langloss said. To help adults ask educated questions of their children, Langloss is leading a number of informational sessions about social networking next week at several area schools. Allowing someone who isn't a real friend to have access to personal information through a social networking site is no different than allowing a stranger access to your living room, Langloss said. And even if you've been cautious, a friend may unintentionally put you in harm's way. Simple things like "tagging" you in a photo or leaving a comment on your page can provide a stranger with information. The campaign to inform adults and kids about the dangers of social networking started when an Ohio girl killed herself after her former boyfriend sent nude pictures of her to friends. If parents, teachers and communities don't intervene, these kids of tragedies may become a trend, Langloss fears. "The Internet is a pretty amazing tool," Langloss said. "Adults can make informed decisions; 11-year-olds can't. That is why it has to be up to us to guide them. Kids shouldn't have to learn trial by fire. "This may be the best 60 minutes of the year pertaining to being a parent," Langloss said of the presentations, which are hosted by the Dixon Police and Lee County Sheriff's departments, and the Lee County state's attorney's office. Keynote speaker Sarah Migas, Internet safety specialist in the Illinois attorney general's office, will discuss how parents can help keep children use the Internet safely. Over 3 days, Migas will present an age-appropriate message to about 2,000 students in grades 6 through 12. The public is invited to attend. "Prevention programs like these will ultimately reduce the amount of people who go into our criminal justice system," Langloss said. "I know people are busy, and getting them to come out is going to be difficult. "But the things their kids are exposed to that they aren't aware of are molding who they become. What will they accomplish if we are missing a huge portion of our children's lives? How are we going to shape them into who we want them to be?" To see more of The Daily Gazette or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.saukvalley.com/. Copyright (c) 2010, Daily Gazette, Sterling, Ill. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. |