A Calvin senior has authored a Web safety booklet with specific advice for parents.
Nate Knapper, 22, a communications and political science major from Clarkston, Mich., spent his summer internship with Michigan Family Forum writing The Family Guide to Web Safety.
“Their old Internet safety guide was fairly outdated,” Knapper said, “and it didn’t include all of the modern Web topics like the social networking sites and blogging. It had some things about chat rooms, which hardly anyone uses anymore. It’s all instant messaging and Facebook now.”
The new guide contains sections on e-mailing, chatting and instant messaging; social networking, such as Facebook-ing or blogging; online video gaming and gambling; Internet file sharing; video sharing, and online shopping and auctions. Each section defines the various Web activities and outlines the risks to children who participate.
The book also includes tips and resources for parents on file searching, content filtering, and Internet safety; purchasing precautions; a cyber safety contract; information on the Michigan Cyber Safety Initiative; common Web acronyms; and additional resources.
The finished product will be distributed to churches and schools throughout the state. For more information, see http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2007-08/knapper-web-guide.htm.
