Internet Safety Month a time for parents
In recognition of June as Internet Safety Month, Capt. Aaron Yarnell of Knox County Sheriff’s Office urges parents to make sure children are learning to use social media from them — not friends.
“Your best course of action is to become familiar with the technology,” said Yarnell, who heads KCSO’s special investigations and technology division.
Children and teens constantly are exposed to Twitter, chat rooms, virtual worlds, blogs and other forms of social media on cell phones, iPads and computers.
“There’s so much technology,” Yarnell said. “You can’t keep (children) away from it because social media is not a fad; it’s a change in the way we communicate.”
As parents, “We have to learn to be able to communicate with our children through social media,” he added.
“With technology advancing so quickly, even though you may not like social media, you have to learn (to use the media) and accept it.”
Just as a parent teaches a child to ride a bicycle, children should learn the proper way to use social media and the devices from their parents — not friends, Yarnell said.
He advises parents, “You need to know it yourself.”
One Internet site that helps parents is Socialsafetypatrol.com/, which provides reviews of apps and their threat levels, he said.
“There are over 300 reviews on it right now,” Yarnell said. “(Parents) need to be aware of what (apps) their children are on.
“Some apps can be monitored (by parents) remotely, but with some (parents) they have to get their hands on the device,” he added. “I encourage parents to have a centralized charging station and not have their children sleep with their phones.”
The child can put his or her device on the charging station and retrieve it in the morning. Meanwhile, the parent can look at the phone and monitor what is on it.
Yarnell added children should be discouraged from using their phones at night. “Nothing good happens at 2 in the morning,” he said.
Children should get parental permission before they download a new app or software.
“They need to communicate with you,” Yarnell said. “Just keep an open mind (on technology) — all technology is not bad — and discuss things with your kids.”
U.S. Cellular is observing Internet Safety Month by hosting a free device workshop from 9 to 10 a.m., Saturday, June 16, at 2736 Schaad Road, Knoxville, during which U.S. Cellular associates will share tips for parents to keep their children safe online.
The workshop is open to the public, and attendees do not have to be customers to attend.
To attend the workshop, call U.S. Cellular at 865-938-2363.
