Internet Safety and Education

I think Internet Safety is one of the biggest issues that we, as educators, have to face.  In this day and age, our students are constantly accessing the Internet, whether at home or at school.  Looking at my own life, the amount of time I spend on the Internet is ridiculous, whether I'm doing research for a class project, checking my email, participating in an online class, or just wasting time on Facebook.  My work schedule, banking information, calendar, social life, and solid chunk of my communicating with the rest of the world is done online.  As such, it's not far off to suggest that students, too, are spending more and more time on the Internet, as there is simply more for them to do.  There are countless game sites, both educational and, well, non-educational, homework help blogs, Wikipedia, chatrooms, messaging sites… etc.

The issue arises in the fact that anyone can post material to the Internet.  Not only that, but the advertisements that we are constantly bombarded with are not often in our control.  Companies pay millions of dollars for Google, Facebook, and similar sites to post their ads on the sides of various pages.  If those ads have inappropriate content, it can still be posted onto my Facebook page.  Further, even if I click the "X" or mark it as inappropriate, the very next day, a new ad will pop up, this time with different material, that may or may not be appropriate.  It's difficult to draw the line on where exactly "appropriate" is, but it is well within reason that children not be exposed to ads for alcohol, cigarettes, or X-rated products, or any products that are being sold with sex.

This, of course, is only one side of Internet safety.  So, we teach our students what sites are appropriate and kid-safe, maybe even advertisement-free.  It is also crucial for them to be able to protect themselves from online predators that may be looking for them in chat rooms, on gaming sites, or even on Facebook.  It's frightening to think that, even with the most minimal amount of information, certain individuals have the ability to find us.  Students need to learn what information they need to keep private, and why it's important for them to do so.

I think a problem arises here in that students are first and foremost taught to always be truthful, and to trust adults.  When it comes to Internet safety, we are telling them that, sometimes it's okay to lie about your identity, like making up a screen name or a user profile, and not putting an actual address/phone number, etc.  We are also telling them that, they really shouldn't be trusting anyone they meet online, whether they are an adult, or even if they say they are another student.  Of course, the methods of a teacher are always in the best interest of a student, and it is important for them to know of the risks involved.  But, there is certainly a fine line, and perhaps that falls between appropriate in the classroom, even in society, and appropriate online.

When it comes to use in the classroom, the Internet is a fabulous resource, and should absolutely be used to its full potential.  I believe it falls to the teacher to try out any and all sites that he or she will be using in the classroom, to check:
Are there appropriate ads, or none at all?
Is there a privacy setting?
Is any content open to the public?
Are user-names visible?
Do students need an email/profile on the site to access it?
Is the site worth using? Does it offer educational merit and authenticity?

Aside from questions like these, I believe it is also of utmost importance that we inform our students of proper "etiquette"on the Internet, as we can't safeguard them forever.