Welcome to Internet Parenting: Now What Do I Do?!

1. Welcome to Internet Parenting:Now What Do I Do?! • Dr. Charles D. Knutson • Brigham Young University • www.charlesknutson.net

2. Short answer • Try to maximize the positive value • Try to minimize the negative effects • "It is impossible for a man [woman, child, family] to be saved in ignorance." – D&C 131:6

3. Dr. K’s biases… • The Internet is here to stay • It will continue to permeate every aspect of our society • Nearly impossible to step backward from technology… • Fire, the wheel, electricity, automobiles, telephones, airplanes, television, computers… • You name it!

4. Technology adoption flow • Pre-electricity: • The ice man comes daily in a horse-drawn wagon with blocks of ice for the ice box • Keeps your food cold for a day • Post-electricity: • Refrigerator and freezer full of food • If the power goes out, my freezer full of meat thaws and I’m in deep trouble

5. Technology adoption flow • As technology is adopted, the non-technology dependent mechanisms go away • Once electricity became pervasive… • And refrigerators and freezers became pervasive… • The market for the ice man dried up • No fallback to pre-technology solutions

6. Technology adoption flow • Once you have and use fire, eating raw meat is no longer a reasonable option • Once you have and use a car, walking or riding a horse from here to Iowa is no longer a reasonable option • Once you have and use Facebook, doing without is no longer a reasonable option… ?! • Hmmm…

7. Dr. K’s biases… • Your children will not get through school • College, High School, Elementary School! • Without accessing the Internet somewhere, somehow… • NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO • Unless you join an Amish community somewhere in Pennsylvania

8. Dr. K’s biases… • The benefits of the Internet to the world are unprecedented in the history of mankind • Secular knowledge and influence • But also religious! • What Gutenberg did in 1439 • The Internet is doing on an exponentially larger scale • The Web is only 15 years old!!

9. Dr. K’s biases… • The dangers are real, and the risks are huge! • We have to do something to protect ourselves and our families • Simply shutting it off is, in most cases, not a reasonable option • Best that kids learn from their parents • If you own a pool, you teach your kids to swim!

10. Dr. K’s biases… • The Internet is increasingly instrumental in moving forward the mission of a worldwide Church • Family history, name extraction • Stake and ward websites, directories • Missionary applications, email, online chat with missionaries • Curriculum materials, talks (text, audio, video) • General conference

11. Technical wheat and tares • Every advancement in history has application for good and evil • For every invention that blesses the Church and helps move the work forward • Satan has a counterfeit application • Pick anything… • Also true of every eternal doctrine

12. Technical wheat and tares • Let the field represent the application of technological advancement throughout the history of mankind… • Early, the differences aren't stark • Fire: (+) Cook food, (-) Arson • At the time of harvest we see a broad distinction between good and evil application • Internet: (+) Lds.org, (-) Pornography

13. The iron rod and the river • Nephi: "Behold the fountain of filthy water which thy father saw; yea, even the river of which he spake; and the depths thereof are the depths of hell." (1 Ne 12:16) • Nephi: "… the water which my father saw was filthiness; and so much was his mind swallowed up in other things that he beheld not the filthiness of the water." (1 Ne 15:27)

14. The iron rod and the river • Lehi: "I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit." (1 Ne 8:13) • Proximity of the river and the rod… • Lehi: "And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood." (1 Ne 8:19)

15. The iron rod and the river • Q: If you were on the strait and narrow path, clutching the iron rod… How close would you sometimes be to the river of filthiness? • A: The water could occasionally lap onto your shoes • And you are exactly where you should be, moving toward the tree of life

16. The iron rod and the river • Q: Why are the rod of iron and the river of filthiness so close? • Who controls the river? • Q: Why is the great and spacious building visible from the tree? • Who built the building? • Shouldn't you get a rest when you're on the path?! Or at the tree?! • Apparently not…

17. The iron rod and the river • There seems to be an inevitable co-location of good and evil that we have to cope with in this mortal probation • The same wires and cables carry • Exalting and enlightening material • Degrading and destructive material • We need to learn to cope with the proximity

18. First Presidency, 1901 A new century dawns upon the world today. The hundred years just completed were the most momentous in the history of man upon this planet. It would be impossible in a hundred days to make even a brief summary of the notable events, the marvelous developments, the grand achievements and the beneficial inventions and discoveries, which mark the progress of the ten decades now left behind in the ceaseless march of humanity. The very mention of the nineteenth century suggested advancement, improvement, liberty and light. Happy are we to have lived amidst its wonders and shared in the riches of its treasures of intelligence!

19. President Faust, 1999 When this statement was made 100 years ago, people still traveled by horse and buggy. The age of the telephone and electricity was just dawning. There was no air travel, no E-mail, no fax machines, no Internet. There has been an explosion of secular knowledge. I believe that God has opened up these treasures of intelligence to enhance His purposes on the earth. The new century will bring exponential advances in that treasury.

20. Now what do I do?! • "It is impossible for a man [woman, child, family] to be saved in ignorance." – D&C 131:6 • "Press forward. The alternatives are repulsive." – Dr. Don Kartchner, my father-in-law

21. Become educated • That's why you're here! • Tons of information out there • Little in the way of cohesive material geared toward your needs • Much that is geared to a technical audience • Much that is more confusing than it is helpful • Example…

22. The Internet • Massively distributed worldwide network of interconnected computer networks • Millions of smaller, academic, business, and government networks • No central control of the Internet! • You can't shut it down • You can't control it

23. The Internet • The backbone on which all the other services run • Picture the nation's transportation infrastructure • Air traffic system, rail system, interstate highways, state highways, streets, roads, driveways, bike paths… • Services use this infrastructure • Commercial, mail delivery, commuters, family vacations, bike rides…

24. The Internet

25. The Internet • The Internet is the digital equivalent of a transportation system • Services utilize this infrastructure or backbone • Web browsing • Email • File transfer • Streaming media • Phone services

26. The Internet

27. The Worldwide Web • A system of interlinked hypertext documents (web pages) accessible via the Internet • Web pages may contain text, images and hyperlinks to other pages • Web pages are viewed using a web browser • "What's a web browser?" – My mother

28. Web browsers • Kids often download browsers • Not the one you think they're using Internet Explorer 53% Firefox 31% Safari 3% Chrome 3% Opera 1%

29. Websites • Around 200 million websites • Around 63 billion publicly indexable web pages, 550 billion documents • More in the "invisible web" • Web 2.0 – User created content: • Blogging and personal web pages • Facebook and MySpace • YouTube • Wikipedia

30. Becoming educated • A significant number of concepts to try and understand • Trying to provide a number of overview presentations this week • Here's a quick tour of what I'm talking about the rest of the week…

31. Understand guidelines • Guidelines for family and personal technology usage • Consistent, rational, reasonably tech savvy Parenting Guidelines: Are We Losing Our Children on the Information Superhighway? Wednesday, 12:30-1:25, 3108 JKB

32. Understand social networks • Positive and negative consequences of social networking • Tour of social networking sites • MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Safe Online Social Networking? Positives, Dangers, and Challenges Thursday, 12:30-1:25, 3108 JKB

33. Understand cell phones • Positive and negative effects of cell phone technology • Texting, sexting, and social-emotional isolation Cell Phone Safety: Digitally Tethered Teens and Other Modern Dilemmas Friday, 12:30-1:25, 3108 JKB

34. Understand content issues • Pornography is among the most corrosive content on the Internet • Other inappropriate and damaging content is also pervasive • Protection, detection, and response Online Pornography: Protecting Ourselves and Our Families Tuesday, 1:50-2:45, 3108 JKB

35. Understand predators • Motives and methods of those who prey on the innocent and gullible • Protect our children from online predators Internet Predators: Who's Watching Our Children Online? Wednesday, 1:50-2:45, 3108 JKB

36. Understand cyberbullying • Motives and methods of electronic bullying • Protect our children from an increasingly common form of abuse Cyberbullying: Growing Up on the Digital Playground Thursday, 1:50-2:45, 3108 JKB

37. Understand chatting • Positive and negative effects of text messaging and other forms of chatting • Deciphering what the kids are saying Chatting and Messaging: Overly Connected in a Digital World Friday, 1:50-2:45, 3108 JKB

38. Understand game addiction • Positive and negative effects of online game playing • Especially Massive Multi-Player Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) Just a Game? When Virtual Reality Becomes Our Children's Reality Tuesday, 3:10-4:05, 3108 JKB

39. Understand malicious email • Positive and negative effects of email • Combat spam, phishing attacks • Understand proper email "netiquette" Unclogging my Email: Spam, Phishing Attacks, Netiquette Wednesday, 3:10-4:05, 3108 JKB

40. Understand malware • The nature of malicious software • Protect yourself from viruses, worms, adware, and spyware The Dark Side of Software: Viruses, Worms, Adware, Spyware Thursday, 3:10-4:05, 3108 JKB

41. Understand identity theft • Motives and methods of identity thieves • Protect ourselves from an increasingly common form of criminal activity Identity Theft: Why Would Anyone Want My Identity? Friday, 3:10-4:05, 3108 JKB

42. Internet Safety Podcast • www.internetsafetypodcast.com • 30-minute radio-style programs • Top Internet Safety audio program on the Web • Can listen on the website • Can subscribe through iTunes • Can download audio to your PC, cell phone, iPod, or other music device

43. Internet Safety Podcast

44. Internet Safety Podcast

45. Internet Safety Wiki • wiki.internetsafetypodcast.com • Around 300 articles on every topic imaginable • Constantly expanding • Geared to non-technical users • The largest and most popular Wiki dedicated to Internet safety • If you have technical skills, you can contribute to the Wiki!

46. Internet Safety Wiki

47. Internet Safety Wiki

48. Questions? • Please feel free to contact me… • I'll do my best to respond in a timely manner • No guarantees once the semester gets into full swing… Dr. Charles Knutson knutson@cs.byu.edu