Techno-Kids: Are the Safe?
By Joseph Brehm: February, 2007
Member Northern Illinois Conference E-Safety Task Force and NIC Communications Commission
Consider with me what family life was like in the 1960’s. My community was pretty much a 2-block radius from home. To paint an accurate picture of my youth, I grew up in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City. Extended community included school, to which most walked, and church. My parents, and those of my friends, knew everyone within 2-blocks of home along with telephone numbers. After school, I checked in, and did my chores. Well, most of the time…
Your community may have varied from mine based on factors such as geographic location and age. You can adjust accordingly.
Quite often I would be told to “Go OUT and play!” We were safe to play without direct adult supervision in our immediate neighborhood. All the adults within the community kept an eye on the children. It was amazing what could be reported in a matter of minutes by use of the telephone. More than once, the ring of the bell brought news that I misbehaved and disciplinary action was necessary. Also, parents checked with other parents on details. No third party explanations were accepted.
The most significant technology enhancements in the home were switching from black and white television to color and from tubes to solid state in both television and radio. Show’s like Gilligan’s Island, I Love Lucy, McHale’s Navy, Hogan’s Heroes, The Andy Griffith Show, Laugh-In and F-Troop were big hits. Also, AT&T started their big push to upgrade from rotary to push-button or touch-tone phones.
The Internet Has Changed Family Life
Now let’s flash forward to the year 2007. Radio and television are beamed from satellites directly to our homes or via cable providers. Young children learn that sex is more than just a kiss from loosely rated programming as well as commercials about condoms, and male sexual enhancement drugs.
This generation of High School students and younger do not know what life is like without a computer in the home, classroom and/or library. The internet, while nurtured in my youth, did not become a household name until the 1990’s. What a marvel of information we can connect to, more so than any local library provided. The www.umc.org website is an excellent example of the good that can be provided with access to the internet.
Unfortunately, the internet also exposes our children to perversions we did not even know existed in our youth. Even worse, it exposes our loved ones to the perverts who fed us this apple of knowledge. We have to protect our families from inappropriate websites, including alcohol, bomb making, drugs, gambling, hate speech, mature content, pornography, profanity, sex education, tobacco, and weapons. Other threats include the perverts themselves, SPAM, Trojan horses, computer viruses, hackers, identity thieves, email, phishing, chat, blogs, PC gaming, cyber bullies, newsgroups and community portals. It seems like a lot, but I’m sure I am missing something…
Community is no longer just your neighborhood, but the world at large. Community is no longer just your neighbors, but like minded individuals, or those that pretend to be. The truth is that you cannot be sure who you are communicating with unless you meet fact-to-face. Imagine the risks there…
The telephone connects more than one home or business to another. Now it connects individuals and many are children. Indeed it is not just the computer that exposes our families. Other technologies that pose a threat include cell phones, wireless networks, wireless devices such as the palm pilot or i-POD, gaming consoles such as the X-Box or PS2/3, digital cameras, webcams and USB drives. Predators can reach you via IP addresses, email and chat addresses, usernames, gamer tags and cell phone numbers. Webcams can allow access to the bedroom.
The Church Can Take a Role in Internet Safety
Many parents and families are overwhelmed. It seems every day there is something new and a new predator is found. It was no surprise for me to hear that the internet was a tool used and abused leading up to the Columbine Massacre. For these reasons and more I propose we take a stand starting with a resolution at the NIC Annual Conference in support of Family Safe Electronics. First, we must inform the IT industry of our concerns and encourage change that will bring about a safer environment for our families. Second, we must inform and educate our churches, members and children of the dangers in our electronic world while providing scriptural guidance. This should be updated and presented annually.
In a recent interview with Detective Gregory Pyle of the McHenry County Sheriff’s department, I learned that approximately 1 in 5 children with full internet access were approached by a predator on the internet last year. Detective Pyle is a member of the Illinois Chapter of the ICAC, or Internet Crimes against Children Task Force. The task force is a subset of The Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Department of Justice. Education is the key according to Detective Pyle. Unfortunately they do not have the budget to educate everyone. This, I believe, is our Calling.