Students and parents must know that ChatGPT and its variations come with a whole list of associated risks.

The short answer is yes; they are using ChatGPT at schools. Even though most AI tools strictly say that the minimum age to use ChatGPT is 18, many students bypass the rule and use ChatGPT to generate content later submitted as their own. OpenAI’s ChatGPT is one of many options; other tools are either based on ChatGPT or developed by OpenAI competitors, i.e., Microsoft’s Bing Chat and Google’s Bard AI. University students use it for assignments, too. It is an undisputed fact, that AI tools are being used by children in the USA.

ChatGPT’s risks

However, students and parents must know that ChatGPT and its variations come with a whole list of associated risks. Educational institutions are getting up to speed fast, and students could be accused of cheating if caught using AI tools such as ChatGPT. Even though there are no perfect plagiarism checkers yet, multiple tools out there could detect ingenuine content, and those tools are readily available to teachers. Such plagiarism checkers are often unnecessary as teachers familiar with their field of study can easily recognize made-up things and untruthful content. AI chatbots sometimes made-up dates, facts, and even articles, and students often learn this the hard way.

ALSO READ: Back-to-school cybersecurity tips for parents and children

Other associated risks with such tools come with the recently reported ‘dumbing down‘ of ChatGPT and other similar services. OpenAI has openly denied such claims, but many users noticed a significant decrease in the power/knowledge of ChatGPT over the last few months. Even though the ‘dumbing down’ is disputed by many, students must know that chatbots might not be a cure-all and would still need to research their topics thoroughly. Some people address chatbots as glorified typewriters unable to generate new content and ideas but only limited to using what’s already available. And the availability of AI bots is controlled by the companies’ owners.

Future-proofing must also be a concern for students using the new technology. Students must remember that if they’ve managed to pass an exam or submit an assignment at some point, this may fire back later. Universities and schools may one day return to reexamine the work and realize that the generated content was plagiarized, which could void a graduation diploma or a certificate. Students must know that ChatGPT is still highly unregulated.

ALSO READ: Back to school cyber security tips

Conversing with an AI-based chatbot may be exciting, but students need to know that the replies they receive might not be informative. Answers could be dangerously misleading. The bot might be pushing a political agenda and/or mispresenting facts. ChatGPT has shown political bias and has been biased on many sensitive topics. Often, chatbots notify users that they could potentially display inaccurate or offensive information… and this is the cold truth.

Students might feel tempted to take advantage of the tool and use it to write a book report to save time. However, actions have consequences, and it is possible that relying on the new, undeveloped technology comes with risks, and at least for now, reading the book and doing all the work the old-fashioned way is the safest method. Many lawyers and “journalists” have already learned this lesson the hard way.

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We are halfway through the summer, and kids in the USA are getting ready to return to school.

While it is exciting to be back in the classroom, living in a post-pandemic world also comes with a grain of salt, as parents will not always be with their children.

Schools are returning to normal; distance learning is losing pace, and teaching children how to protect themselves while developing a digital lifestyle is as important as protecting themselves in real life.

READ ALSO: Are your children ready to go back to school?

Here are a few suggestions on how children and parents can avoid trouble in the new year.

The importance of privacy

TikTok and social media have made it easy for children to have a shot at being overnight stars and develop a following while still in school. However, social media platforms like TikTok sometimes lead to addiction and desperate moves to garner attention. While content is fun to make and allows children to express creativity, parents must know who is the audience of the created content. And if videos or posts are fully public, they should not disclose any info that could identify the address or full name of the children involved.

Predators exist

Parents sometimes forget that predators likely lurk more often in the digital world than in real life. Keeping an eye on the kids while respecting their privacy is a must, especially if there is a teen in the family. Predators can be everywhere, in PC video game chats, smartphones, and even on a Nintendo Switch platform. Discussing types of alarming behavior and how kids can recognize it and report it to a parent is a must. Students might not realize how exposed they are to the outside world online, so it is the parent’s job to include some primary cybersecurity education.

READ ALSO: TBH Meaning + Online Slang Parents Should Know

Cyberbullying

Talk about cyberbullying with the kids. Children of all ages, sometimes even parents, must understand that what happens online could have real-life consequences. Long gone are the days of complete anonymity. Teach the little ones to be responsible online like they are in the real world. Untasteful behavior online could even be worse, as digital prints can haunt a person forever. Teach children not to be the victim nor the bully.

ALSO READ: 52 Alarming Cyberbullying Statistics and Facts for 2023

Social media challenges

Stay on top of the trends and act quick when kids attempt to do something unhealthy. Those often start in schools and teachers are trained to recognize harmful behavior, and alert parents if they see something. Still, teachers also often have 20+ children per class, and relying only on reports by teachers isn’t enough. Keeping an eye on what is happening in children’s digital life is a must.

Phishing attempts

No one is fully protected by phishing attempts. One way or another, hackers always find a way to successfully deliver an email or a text message to potential victims. Antivirus software solutions can successfully shield people from such criminal attempts, but even with protection, sometimes malicious content ends up ready for takers in someone’s inbox. Everyone, from senators in the government to children with school email inboxes, gets targeted by cybercriminals and everyone should know not to click on those malicious links.

READ ALSO: 11 Types of Phishing + Real-Life Examples

Antivirus software solutions often also come bundled with parental control features like Panda Dome Premium. Utilizing the tools in such protection solutions helps parents limit a child’s exposure to phishing emails, online predators, cyberbullies, and dangerous social media behavior.

The post Back-to-school cybersecurity tips for parents and children appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Raising a child today means raising a digital native — they are constantly connected to the online world through smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices. No matter where they go, the internet follows, which means cybersecurity for kids is becoming an increasingly important topic to tackle.

Research shows that many children and young adults are constantly connected to the internet, but it also reveals that more than 40% of these individuals have or will disclose sensitive and personal information online. 

This is dangerous, but kids who don’t understand cybersecurity or who aren’t protected by premium online security are more likely to accidentally put themselves in harm’s way. This guide is designed to help simplify cybersecurity for kids and facilitate cybersecurity discussions.

1. Educate Yourself First

Before you can begin teaching cybersecurity to kids, you need to understand the concept first. There are plenty of dangers associated with online browsing, but it’s difficult to explain and enforce internet safety for kids when you don’t have the full picture. 

There are three types of threats a child may experience while surfing the web:

• Strangers and predators: Predators will often catfish children on social media or online gaming sites. They will usually trick children into sharing usernames, passwords, payment information or other sensitive data.

• Peers: As communication and entertainment move online, so do harassment and bullying. Children may experience cyberbullying from peers — both those they know and those they don’t.

• Self: Children who are left online unsupervised may unknowingly download malicious content or open dangerous links. It’s also possible they could accidentally reveal private information on a public platform.

Being aware of these types of threats can help you protect kids while they surf the web. Educating yourself also allows parents and guardians to set a safe example of internet usage, which is a great way to teach kids about cybersecurity. To do this, be sure to:

• Keep your data to yourself and carefully choose what you post online
• Create strong, difficult passwords 
• Set privacy settings on social media accounts
• Set and follow the same or similar internet expectations as your kids

Following these tips — and continuously learning about cybersecurity — is the first step to keeping you and your family safe online.

2. Communicate Internet Expectations

Before hopping online, it’s important to set up and maintain internet expectations. These expectations will guide household internet use, and they can be used to explain the dangers of surfing the web.

Your internet expectations should include:

• Strong passwords for online sites
• Password protections and expectations
• Rules for unique usernames
• Rules about sharing personal information online — including full names, ages and addresses
• Internet and screen time limits
• App permissions
• App installation instructions and permissions
• Online and in-app payments

When creating internet expectations, you should attempt to create restrictions that are flexible but protective. As kids age, it’s also possible to include them in the conversations about their online expectations.

After setting and agreeing to your internet expectations, create and sign a family media agreement. These agreements will keep everyone accountable for their online actions, which can encourage safe internet use.

3. Use a Proactive, Empowerment-Based Approach

While the online world can be dangerous, it doesn’t have to be scary — for both kids and adults. Scaring kids away from the internet isn’t a great plan for keeping them safe. Instead, focus on teaching kids how to keep themselves safe online through empowerment. 

By giving children responsibility for their own online safety, they will likely appreciate the respect you show them and take their responsibility seriously. Also, don’t assume what children know about cybersecurity. Instead, ask them what they understand and help them fill in the blanks.

This type of proactive approach can help build trust between a child and an adult. Discussing cybersecurity for kids takes more than a one-way conversation — both parties need to be aware of the dangers and be responsible for their own safety.

4. Create a Safe Environment

Even if you use an empowerment-based approach, it’s still likely a child will make a mistake or break an internet expectation. If this happens, you want to be the person a child feels safe reaching out to. 

Check in with a child’s online behavior periodically and keep your family media agreements handy, but also be willing to discuss changing expectations as children get older. Additionally, remind them of the dangers of online activities, but also assure them you will be there for them if a tricky situation arises.

5. Invest in Cybersecurity Tools

Teaching kids about cybersecurity is important, but you should also set up protective systems or invest in cybersecurity tools to add an additional layer of security to your online browsing. Consider security tools like:

• Antivirus software, which can alert you to and stop dangerous malware from attacking and damaging a system. 
• VPNs, which protect users while they surf the internet or connect to networks on public systems.
• Password managers, which can help protect passwords across various platforms.
• Content blockers, which dictate which apps or websites a user can access.

6. Teach Cybersecurity Vocabulary

If you’re teaching cybersecurity for kids, they need to know the vocabulary. While kids may not understand how all these terms fit together immediately, it’s important to discuss them.

To start, teach cybersecurity terms like:

• Cybercrime: Online illegal activities usually concerning a computer or network
• Digital footprint: Data left behind from online activities that can be tracked, monitored and stored
• Encryption: Code system used to protect information while traveling across a network or system
• Firewall: A system designed to prevent unauthorized system access
• Hacker: An individual who breaks into a computer’s network
• Internet: A worldwide system of computer networks
• Internet of Things (IOT): Collection of items that can connect to the internet and be assigned an IP address
• Internet Service Provider (ISP): A company that provides Internet service
• IP address: An identification number that’s assigned to each electronic device
• Malware: A type of dangerous software that is harmful to electronic devices
• Modem: A device that provides access to the Internet
• Router: A networking device — in the form of a small box — that connects all electronic devices in one place and allows them to join the same network
• Virus: A type of malware that can damage and destroy network systems

Review your terms regularly, and add new words, too. This way they’ll be prepared to communicate with you if they end up in a scary situation online.

7. Choose Age-Appropriate Resources

Cybersecurity can be a complicated topic. Children need access to age-appropriate resources to best understand cybersecurity for kids. Consider downloading or purchasing educational apps, or using specific printable and online resources to educate kids about cybersecurity.

Binary Code Name Tags

Binary code is a complex cybersecurity topic. To help kids understand binary code, this exercise lets them look at the UTF-8 binary code and use it to create a name tag.

Cyber Quests

Cyber Quests — offered online by US Cyber Challenge — are a series of challenging competitions. While these quests are designed to identify the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, they can also be used to identify areas where children understand cybersecurity concepts and where they need more help. Many of these quests are aimed at teenage kids, so be aware of the difficulty before encouraging a child to start a quest.

Malware Definition Match

This word and definition pairing activity can help children identify and discover the meanings of important cybersecurity terms. After finishing this activity, discuss the terms, including which ones they think are most threatening.

FBI’s Safe Online Surfing Activities

Created with a variety of age levels in mind, Safe Online Surfing is a collection of islands made of multiple computer and online security activities. Kids work to complete a series of activities for their age group before being tested on their cybersecurity knowledge.

Think Like A Hacker Activity

To help kids understand the information they are sharing, this activity asks them to analyze their own social media — or a friend’s or family member’s — through the eyes of a hacker.

Computer Science Framework

The Computer Science Framework is a collaborative project aimed to help educators create online-based courses, but it can also be used to simply help educate K-12 kids on online concepts. 

Cybersecurity for kids doesn’t have to be overwhelming — in fact, teaching kids about cybersecurity is a great way to brush up on internet safety and keep everyone protected. Panda Dome can even offer your family’s digital life an extra layer of online protection.

Source: Simplilearn

The post Cybersecurity for Kids: 7 Tips for Teaching the Basics appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Standing up to bullies was once a brave act that defied social norms. Today, the landscape is not so clear-cut. Enter: cyberbullying. Adolescents are forced to endure online harassment from peers at any given hour of the day—often without even knowing the identity of the bully. The prevalence of digital devices has created a pressing health problem for the world’s youth that’s not limited to school grounds.

Cyberbullying can include harassing, threatening, demeaning or embarrassing someone else using an online platform. In the most extreme cases, statistics on bullying show that victims suffer a higher risk for cyberbullying-related suicide.

In this post, we shed light on 52 of the most alarming cyberbullying statistics that show how dangerous online harassment can be. They cover the root causes and effects of online bullying, where cyberbullying is most prevalent, current anti-bullying efforts, and most importantly, how to detect online bullying and what to do about it.

Table of Contents:

1. Statistics on Bullying by Country
2. Social Media and Cyberbullying
3. School Bullying Statistics
4. The Larger Effects of Cyberbullying
5. Anti-Bullying Campaigns by the Numbers
6. How To Recognize Online Harassment
7. Additional Resources
8. FAQs

Key Takeaways:

• 38 percent of people experience cyberbullying on social media platforms daily.
• Foreign national students experience more cyberbullying than their locally-born counterparts.
• Cyberbullying is the number one concern for school staff.
• 25 percent of students who are cyberbullied turn to self-harm to cope. 

Examples of cyberbullying can include harassing, threatening, demeaning, or embarrassing someone else using an online platform. In the most extreme cases, statistics on bullying show that adolescents who are victims suffer a higher risk for cyberbullying-related suicide.

Cyberbullying Statistics by Country

The number of cyberbullying cases varies around the world, but one thing is clear: it’s a problem everywhere.

1. 34 percent of British adolescents have experienced bullying in mobile games. (Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking)
2. 15 percent of students within the United States report being cyberbullied. (CDC)
3. 75 percent of students in Romania report less frequent cyberbullying since COVID-19. (Statista)
4. In Myanmar, victims of cyberbullying were teased for having trouble concentrating and understanding lectures. (PLOS ONE)
5. Japanese adolescents ages 12 to 18 are more likely to experience future health and social problems if victimized by cyberbullying. (Journal of Adolescence)
6. 25 percent of people ages 14 and older who experience cyberbullying in Russia say the motive is sexual orientation, internet activity, or physical appearance. (Statista)
7. Foreign-born youths in wealthy countries experience more bullying than those who were born locally. (SDG 4)
8. 17 percent of parents in the UK report their child being cyberbullied. (Statista)
9. Adolescent males in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mainland China are more likely than female adolescents to report cyberbullying perpetrators. (Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development)

Which Country Has the Highest Rate of Cyberbullying?

1. According to parents, the highest instance of cyberbullying occurs in India, where 37 percent of parents report their child encountering online bullying. (Statista)
2. European countries where children are the most at risk for online sexual exploitation and harmful material include Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, and Norway. (European Parliament)

Cyberbullying on Social Media Statistics

Because social media companies are private, online bullying is difficult to track and regulate. Still, cyberbullying statistics reveal information about how often children and adolescents are experiencing it and on which platforms it is most common.

1. 31 percent of young adults report that their peers misunderstand their texts or social media posts. (Cyberbullying Research Center)
2. Romanian students are more likely to experience cyberbullying if they use social networking sites for two or more hours per day. (BMC Public Health)
3. Twitter users who frequently use vulgar words in their tweets are more likely to be cyberbully perpetrators than their counterparts who use fewer vulgar words. (International Journal on Adv. Science Engineering IT)
4. 9 percent of young adults report people posting embarrassing pictures of them on social media sites without permission. (Pew Research)
5. Children ages 9 to 10 are more likely to be bullied on gaming websites, while teens ages 13 to 16 are more likely to be affected by cyberbullying on social media. (European Parliament)
6. 42 percent of adolescents have experienced cyberbullying on Instagram, and 37 percent of them have experienced bullying on Facebook. (Ditch The Label)
7. 38 percent of people see instances of cyberbullying on social media daily. (Statista)

School Cyberbullying Statistics

In past decades, bullying was isolated to school hours. Today, the problem persists both on and off school grounds, even in the face of cell phone restrictions in class.

1. 9 percent of students ages 12–17 admit they’ve pretended to be someone else online. (Cyberbullying Research Center)
2. Public schools where three quarters or more of students are minorities reported the least cyberbullying. (National Center for Education Statistics)
3. Cyberbullying is the number one online safety concern for teachers. (Be Internet Awesome)
4. One in five students report having skipped school because of cyberbullying. (UNICEF)
5. Bullying in schools happens most often during 6th grade, accounting for nearly 29 percent of incidents. (National Center for Education Statistics)
6. Cyberbullying increases a student’s perceived popularity. (The Journal of Early Adolescence)
7. Schools with policies that do not allow cell phone use during school hours have a higher rate of daily and weekly cyberbullying. (National Center for Education Statistics)
8. Adolescent girls with unstable families are most likely to be both victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying. (Computers in Human Behavior)

How Many Cases of Cyberbullying Are There?

1. 33 percent of youth across the globe experience bullying online. (SDG 4)
2. 70 percent of students with a physical disability report being cyberbullied. (Ditch The Label)
3. Children within lower socioeconomic classes experience the most cases of bullying. (SDG 4)
4. Girls are 1.3 times more likely to be cyberbullied than boys. (CDC)
5. 49 percent of LGBTQ+ students have experienced cyberbullying. (GLSEN)
6. In 2019, nearly 18 percent of students report being a target of cyberbullying in the United States. (Cyberbullying Research Center)

The Larger Effects of Cyberbullying

Students who are victims of cyberbullying often experience anger, isolation, depression, illness, and humiliation.

1. Students who are bullied are three times as likely to engage in school violence and delinquency. (Cyberbullying Research Center)
2. Only 46 percent of students report bullying incidents to an adult. (National Center for Education Statistics)
3. Non-heterosexual victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying exhibit more depression, social anxiety, and psychopathological symptoms than heterosexual victims and perpetrators. (Media Education Research Journal)
4. Students who experience cyberbullying tend to have poor sleep quality and show symptoms of depression. (Sleep)
5. Only 8 percent of public schools report that staff resources are used to handle cyberbullying incidents. (Indicators of School Crime and Safety)
6. Young adults who experience cyberbullying are twice as likely to self-harm and execute suicidal behavior. (JMIR Publications)
7. One in four students who experienced bullying turned to self-harm to cope. (Ditch The Label)
8. 29 percent of teens do nothing when they’re cyberbullied. (National Crime Prevention Council)

What Is the Percent of Cyberbullying for Children?

1. 13 percent of teens have experienced someone pretending to be them online. (National Center for Education Statistics)
2. Less than 5 percent of students report cyberbullying as an isolated incident, and they typically experience traditional forms of bullying in addition to their online encounters. (Journal of Adolescent Health)
3. 25 percent of students recount being cyberbullied by mean and hurtful comments. (Cyberbullying Research Center)
4. 22 percent of middle school and high school students reported having rumors spread about them online. (Statista)
5. 6 percent of children admit to cyberbullying their peers. (Cyberbullying Research Center)

Anti-Bullying Campaigns by the Numbers

Non-profit, federal, and statewide anti-bullying campaigns have popped up around the country in attempts to reduce its prevalence.

1. Bullying programs are more effective when the participants volunteer rather than being nominated. (Prevention Science)
2. 76 percent of public schools report providing training for teachers around physical, social, and verbal bullying behaviors. (National Center for Education Statistics)
3. Anti-bullying programs reduce cyberbullying perpetration by 10–15 percent and cyberbullying victimization by 14 percent. (Aggression and Violent Behavior)
4. Students’ attitudes towards bullying problems become more positive after implementing conversation bots where students defended the victim and bots supported bullying behaviors. (Journal of Educational Computing Research)
5. 50 percent of anti-bullying programs have significant effects on reducing bullying behaviors. (Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation)
6. Self-reported peer relationships improve with the presence of anti-bullying intervention programs. (JAMA Network)
7. 31 percent of students report the best way to stop cyberbullying is by blocking the user. (Cyberbullying Research Center)

How To Recognize and Prevent Online Bullying

It’s important to be aware of the types of online bullying to combat becoming one of the cybersecurity statistics. If you suspect your child is engaged in one or more of the following behaviors, it’s time to take action.

• Flaming: Online arguments that take place within DMs and messaging apps, oftentimes with vulgar behavior to provoke another person.
• Harassment: Sending offensive messages repeatedly including verbal abuse and unsolicited sexual content.
• Denigration: Distributing derogatory or false information about someone to damage their reputation.
• Cyberstalking: Repeatedly sending threatening messages in attempts to intimidate someone. In some cases, this behavior is illegal.
• Masquerade: Creating a fake account pretending to be someone else, sometimes even stealing credentials and posting embarrassing or vicious content.
• Trolling: Baiting other users to fight online.

Notable warning signs of cyberbullying can include: withdrawing from social activities, avoiding school, dropping grades, or appearing anxious or sad after going online. In some cases, cyberbullying is illegal. In less severe cases, blocking the perpetrator and contacting a school administrator is the best course of action. Be proactive as a parent and keep parental controls on and set a media agreement with your children.

Additional Resources

These cyberbullying prevention resources have additional information for suicide prevention, healthy technology habits, and articles with practical parental advice.

• National Crime Prevention Council
• StopBullying.gov
• Technology and Youth: Protecting your Child from Electronic Aggression
• KnowBullying Mobile App

Online bullying is a problem that will persist as technological advances continue. Be aware of your children’s internet use and download proper parental controls to avoid becoming one of the cyberbullying statistics.

FAQs

How many kids get cyberbullied each year?

In 2020, the Cyberbullying Research Center found that 45.5% of students between the ages of 13 and 17 have experienced cyberbullying in their lifetime.

Which country has the highest rate of cyberbullying?

A 2018 survey found that cyberbullying is most common in India, where 37 percent of parents reported their child encountering online bullying.

What age group has the highest rate of cyberbullying?

A study found that Children ages 9 to 10 are more likely to be bullied on gaming websites, while teens ages 13 to 16 are more likely to be affected by cyberbullying on social media.

Which social media platform has the highest rate of cyberbullying?

A recent survey found that 42% of participating youths experienced cyberbullying on Instagram, which was more than on any other social platform.

For more information on cyberbullying and signs to look out for, check out the infographic below. 

The post 52 Alarming Cyberbullying Statistics and Facts for 2023 appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

TBH stands for “to be honest” or (less commonly) “to be heard.” If you’ve seen people write TBH on social media, they were likely using it in place of the phrase “to be honest” at the beginning or end of their sentence.

When teens talk and text online, it can be hard to understand what they’re saying. Internet slang is constantly evolving and can feel like an entirely different language. As a parent, it’s important to learn these different terms not only to stay in the know but also to protect your kids from potential danger online.

The TBH meaning and other teen slang words may cause a headache for parents who are not familiar. Read on to discover the meaning of TBH and other slang terms or skip to the infographic below to learn how to keep your kids safe online.

Table of Contents:

• How is TBH Used?
• Internet Slang You Should Know: The Good and the Bad
• Origins of TBH and Other Online Slang
• Potential Problems With Online Slang
• Online Slang: Tips for Parents

How is TBH Used?

According to Google Trends, the first Urban Dictionary entry for TBH was added in the early 2000s and the term quickly became popular by 2011. This term is normally used to channel a feeling of frankness, or expressing honestly how you feel about a person or thing. If someone wants to be candid about an opinion, they could say, “TBH, I hate going to the mall.”

Positive Connotations

Like most online slang, TBH has evolved past its original meaning for some internet users. On Instagram, young people are now using it as a way to make new friends and connections or complement one another. They do this by trading actions for “a TBH” as if it were a noun.

For example, a teen might post, “Like and comment for a TBH.” After a person has liked and commented, the original poster would go to one of their posts and comment something like, “TBH I love your outfit.” A TBH in exchange for a follow or like is almost always complimentary, and it’s a common way for teens to connect with friends and gain a quick confidence boost.

Negative Connotations

TBH can also be used as a way to insult someone, or in contrast, give them a compliment. For example, you can say something positive to someone like, “TBH, you’re a kind and sincere person,” or insult them by saying, “TBH, I hate your taste in fashion.”

Internet Slang You Should Know: The Good and Bad

There are many trendy slang terms that are becoming popular amongst teens. Here are some popular slang words being used today and their meanings:

• Bae: “Before anyone else.” Used as a term of endearment for a significant other or crush
• Bet: Can be used instead of “yes” or “OK,” or as a response to a challenge, like “we’ll see” or “watch me”
• Cap/No cap: “Cap” means to lie, whereas “no cap” means to be truthful
• Extra: Unnecessarily over the top and dramatic
• Fire: Really cool or amazing
• Fit: Short for “outfit”
• Flex: To flaunt, like knowingly flaunting your status
• FOMO: Fear of missing out
• Ghost: To purposely ignore someone
• Gucci: When something is cool or good
• JBH: Just being honest
• Lit: Word to describe when something is high-energy, super fun, and exciting; can also mean drunk or high
• Lowkey: Expresses a feeling without too much intensity
• NGL: Not gonna lie
• Salty: This means that you are bitter or mad toward something or someone
• Shade: Generally means that someone’s actions are sneaky or unsavory, like “throwing shade”
• Ship: Short for relationship. Can also be used as a verb, like “I ship this couple”
• Slay: To be good at something or succeed
• Snatched: Word that refers to someone who is fashionable or looks really good
• Tea: Alternative phrase for gossip

Red Flag Slang Terms to Watch Out For

Most online slang that teens use these days is harmless, but there are still a few bad apples floating around that you should be aware of. In high-risk situations online, teens may use slang to hide their mischievous or even dangerous behavior. Here are some red flag slang terms that are trending and you should watch out for:

• Addy: Short for Adderall, a medication that is used recreationally that is normally intended to treat ADHD
• ASLP: Acronym for age, sex, location, picture; often used by online predators
• Break green or 420: This means to share marijuana with your friends or code for marijuana
• Catfishing: Using a fake social profile to pretend to be someone else
• Cook session: When a group of people gangs up on someone via social media.
• CU46: See you for sex
• Down in the DM: Usually meant to share or ask for nude photos through private messages on apps or to find a hookup
• FWB: Friends with benefits
• GNOC: Get naked on camera
• KMS: Kill myself
• KYS: Kill yourself
• Netflix and chill: A euphemism for a casual hookup; to meet under the pretense of watching TV together but actually just meeting for a hookup
• NP4NP: Naked picture for naked picture
• NSFW: Not safe for work
• POS: Parent over shoulder
• Ratchet: Usually describes someone as nasty, ugly, or awful.
• Savage: Typically used to complement a well-done insult. For example, someone who witnessed an insult could respond with “that was savage”
• #selfharmmm: This is a trending hashtag used on social media to identify or even glorify self-harming habits, such as cutting.
• Sneaky link: Refers to someone you’re secretly having sex with
• Sugarpic: Erotic or suggestive picture
• Thirsty: To be desperate for something
• Xan/Xans/Xanny: Short for Xanax, a drug used to treat anxiety that is often used recreationally
• 53x: Sex
• 9: Code for “a parent is watching”
• 99: Code for “parents are gone”

Origins of TBH and Other Internet Slang

The origins of online slang are closely related to text message culture, social networking sites, gaming and online chats or forums.

Before smartphones and phones with keyboards were commonplace, people had to type out mobile messages using multi-tap texting, a method where each number key is connected to three or four letters. This method was not very efficient, and slow texting combined with character limits likely contributed to TBH and other abbreviations’ popularity online.

Slang has been around for many years, and each generation has its own style that sets it apart from others. However, moving this language into the digital space can create more opportunities for your kids to be put in danger.

Potential Problems With Online Slang

Cyberbullying is a widespread problem among teens (41% of internet users in the U.S. have experienced online harassment), and online slang could be contributing to the problem. Examples of cyberbullying include demeaning behavior, harassment, threats and embarrassing remarks toward another using an online platform.

Cyberbullying

According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, 31% of young adults have reported that their peers have misunderstood their social media posts or texts. Additionally, 38% of people experience cyberbullying on social platforms every day. Many teens use hateful online slang terms, and young adults who experience this type of behavior are twice as likely to self-harm and execute suicidal behavior.

Online Predators

Online predators aren’t strangers to the internet when it comes to targeting teens. Predators such as drug dealers and sex offenders have found a way to adopt online lingo that teens are using today as a way to communicate and relate with them. According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, 1 in 5 youth between the ages of 9 and 17 will see unwanted sexual content material online and 1 in 9 teens will receive unwanted online solicitations.

Online predators can use internet slang to communicate with your teen, so it’s important to be aware of the other internet slang terms that are being used today.

Internet Slang: Tips for Parents

Knowing that there’s potentially dangerous online language and that your teen could be hiding their activity may cause some concern. However, there are some helpful tips to know that will allow your kids to stay safe on the internet and keep your mind at ease:

• Monitor devices: Conduct random spot checks on your child’s devices, the family PC, social media and instant messaging services.
• Discuss sexting: Make sure to talk with your teens about the dangers of sexting and its legal ramifications.
• Teach them: Don’t assume your kids know all about tech — teach them proper skills, tools and responsibilities if they run into trouble on the internet. This includes being proactive about letting their friends know what is and isn’t OK and being open to discussing problems that arise on the internet.
• Talk about online strangers: Stranger danger applies on the internet, too. Discuss the emotional and physical danger of communicating with someone you don’t know online, whether it’s instant messaging, talking on the phone or sending pictures or other information.
• Set up parental controls: Avoid any potential danger by setting up parental controls on your shared devices. These parental controls allow you to block or set time limits on internet usage.
• Limit screen time: Limiting the amount of time your teen spends on their devices allows for less risk, and more time spent doing homework, spending time with family and getting a good night’s sleep. Less time online also means they won’t have time to get curious and start digging through the internet.
• Have conversations about cyberbullying: Cyberbullying is common in today’s online world, and it’s important to discuss how to deal with online threats and bullies and how to block or report them.
• Impose consequences: If your teen is the one causing mischief online, be sure to enforce consequences for their actions. This could include taking away their devices until they’re aware of how to use them responsibly.
• Stay on top of internet terminology: Learn new internet slang by bookmarking sites like Urban Dictionary, Wiktionary and Urban Thesaurus. You can also ask your kids and community members about terms you don’t know.

Knowing what TBH and other internet slang means can help you better navigate social media and stay on top of your kids’ digital habits. Be sure to also use antivirus software as an additional layer of protection to defend against viruses on your home network.

To learn more about internet slang and online safety, check out the infographic below.

The post TBH Meaning + Online Slang Parents Should Know appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Parents today have more access than ever to tech-based tools that help them care for their children. But as modern technology continues to evolve, the risk of hacking and security vulnerabilities goes up. Anything that’s connected to the internet is an opportunity for cybercriminals to access your data, and unfortunately, that includes baby monitors.

While baby monitor hacks are rare, the potential for intruders still exists if you use a WiFi-enabled monitor. Read on to learn what you should know about the state of baby monitor security and how you can keep yours safe, or check out the infographic below.

How Hackers Access Baby Monitors

Today’s rapidly evolving technology has made our homes smarter, from voice operated lighting, to WiFi controlled coffee machines and WiFi-connected baby monitors. Unfortunately, anything connected to the internet is an open window into your privacy—baby monitors included.

While there have been accounts of WiFi monitors being hacked and babies being spied on, hackers are more often than not looking for an entrance to your other WiFi connected devices rather than simply taking control of your baby monitor.

WiFi connected baby monitors are called Internet Protocol (IP) camera monitors because they rely on an internet connection to your local area network to communicate with the device or smartphone you’re using it with.

In a nutshell, here are the layers of technology that allow WiFi-connected monitors to operate:

1. Regular internet access to your router (Firewall protected)
   • Video access to monitor (Password protected)
   • Remote access to monitor (Password protected)
2. Remote administrator router access (Password protected)
   • Video access to monitor (Password protected)
3. User/administrator local router access (Password protected)
   • Wired (Password protected)
   • Wireless (Password protected)

This illustrates the fact that your home router is the starting point for how hackers gain access to your baby monitor. If a cybercriminal gains administrative access to your router, every device connected to it becomes susceptible to compromise. Here are the different ways a hacker can gain access to your baby monitor:

• Unauthorized internet access to your router: All modern routers use Network Address Translation (NAT) to filter out unauthorized incoming traffic by default. Access to this port is the least likely to occur unless you’ve purposely changed the default settings to enable port forwarding.
• Remote access to your router: Similarly to how you can set up your baby monitor to be accessed over the internet, your router’s administration page can also be accessed through the internet or a wide area network. Remote router access is disabled by default, but you can view these settings on your router admin page under “remote setup” or “Allow Setup over WAN”.
• Local access to your router: This is the same as remote access to your router, except a hacker must be within the physical range of your WiFi network and have your WiFi password, or be able to plug directly into your router via an Ethernet connection.

As you can see, your baby monitor security is tied to basic home wireless network security. The security risks of WiFi-enabled baby monitors aren’t any different from any other device connected to your WiFi network.

Baby Monitor Security Checklist

There are a few simple steps you can take to ensure your home network and baby monitor are protected from hackers.

Secure Your Wireless Router

This is an important security measure whether you have a baby monitor or not. Be sure to keep your router’s firmware updated, disable remote router access if you changed the default setting, and create a strong WiFi password. Never leave your WiFi network open—keeping it password protected significantly reduces the chance of a hacker gaining access to your network.

Create a Strong Password for Your Baby Monitor

The first line of defense in securing your baby monitor is making sure to change the default login details it comes with and creating a strong password.

Update the Firmware for Your Monitor’s Camera

Staying on top of firmware updates for your baby monitor’s camera is a simple way to keep it secure. The steps to update your camera’s firmware will depend on the manufacturer of the monitor you purchased.

Disable DDNS and Port Forwarding or UPnP

You’ll also want to disable DDNS on your monitor’s camera and disable port forwarding or UPnP, if applicable. This will depend on the specific product you purchased and can be adjusted in it’s settings.

Register Your Monitor

Registering your monitor with the product manufacturer is important for staying on top of any new security updates. If security vulnerabilities are discovered after the product was released, the manufacturer may issue a recall or send software updates to fix the issue—but you wouldn’t get word of this unless you’ve registered the product and are in contact with the company.

Disable Remote Access to Your Monitor’s Camera

Many baby monitors today allow you to remotely access them through the internet. This is the feature that lets you stream a video of your baby while you’re out of town or away from home. While this can be convenient, it’s not recommended from a security standpoint.

When you enable internet access to your baby monitor, it removes many of the typical barriers a hacker would have to penetrate in order to compromise it. Unless you disable remote access, all that stands between a hacker’s entry to the monitor is the remote access password you created. To be as secure as possible, it’s best to just disable it.

If you absolutely must use your monitor’s remote access feature, be sure to change the default camera access port. The default is typically set to 80, but you can increase security by setting it above 8100. Additionally, you should regularly check your monitor logs for suspicious activity like foreign IP addresses or strange access times—say, 2:00 PM when you know you weren’t home or checking the monitor.

What to Consider when Shopping for a Secure Monitor

Different types of baby monitors offer different levels of security and functionality. The type of monitor you choose will depend on your preferred level of privacy and protection, and they fall within a few main categories.

Analogue Baby Monitors

Analogue monitors use available radio frequencies to transmit sound and video from the monitor camera to the receiving device. Analogue monitors are made with a longstanding technology that’s been around for decades, so they’re often more affordable than a digital signal monitor.

However, they might not be as secure—if someone within range is using a device on the same frequency as your analogue monitor, there’s a chance they can begin receiving your audio and video (or vice versa.) That said, the security risks of analogue monitors can be mitigated if you live in a rural area away from people and sources of interference.

Digital Baby Monitors

Digital monitors use a digital signal that transmits audio and video frequencies as discrete numbers (rather than the continuous shape of analogue radio waves.) Digital signals are more secure because they can be encrypted, which means that even if someone nearby is using a device on the same frequency as your monitor, they won’t easily be able to see or hear what the monitor is transmitting.

Some digital monitors do this by using a technology called Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS), which automatically switches signals to bypass eavesdropping. You can find baby monitors with this feature by searching for FHSS capable monitors.

WiFi and Internet-Connected Baby Monitors

The most popular option today, WiFi-enabled baby monitors integrate with most smartphones and computers and usually have an unlimited range as long as your receiving device or phone are connected to the internet. As outlined above, WiFi baby monitors are susceptible to hackers if your network is unsecured or a hacker finds a way to bypass your passwords.

Different product models can also come with their own firmware that might have bugs or lack automatic updates. If a hacker figures out how to compromise a certain monitor model, there’s a chance they can access any device within that product model line.

If you’re looking for a WiFi-enabled baby monitor, you can increase your security by making sure to choose one that allows you to change the password and comes with automatic firmware updates. You’ll also need to be vigilant about your home wireless network security, since these types of monitors rely on them to function.

Every household has different needs, and there’s no one size fits all in the realm of baby monitors. What matters is that you take the time to understand how different monitors function and how comfortable you are with the security implications of each. To take your home network security a step further, it’s a good idea to implement a home antivirus to keep your WiFi and devices secure.

The post Baby Monitor Security: Ward Off Hackers with These Tips appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

What Can Parental Controls Do?

Parental controls are software or device-specific options that allow parents to monitor their child’s internet use. They prevent children from accessing inappropriate, unsuitable, or illegal content online. They can be implemented within your internet service provider, search engines, video streaming sites, chat software and more. Parental controls can practice the following prevention methods:

Check out Panda Dome Family parental control

How to Set Parental Controls

Parental controls can prevent and filter a variety of inappropriate content for little ones. However, figuring out how to set parental controls on each device can be confusing. We explain how to set them on the following devices and services:

• Computer Operating Systems
• Internet Browsers
• Search Engines
• Video Streaming
• Gaming
• Cell Phones
• Parental Control Apps

Content restrictions include:

• Blocking inappropriate apps, games and media
• Requiring children to ask a parent before purchasing in the Microsoft Store
• Blocking inappropriate websites

Blocking inappropriate apps, games and media:

1. Head to this page and sign in with your Microsoft account.
2. Set up a child account through Windows Settings. If you already have one, find your child’s name and choose Content Restrictions.
3. Go to Apps, games & media and toggle Block inappropriate apps, games and media to On.
4. Under Allow apps and games rated for, choose the age limit you’d like to apply for your child.
5. When your child requests to access a blocked application or game, you can approve it by going to Content restrictions and adding it to the Always allowed list.
6. In the case that your child downloaded something prior to these limitations, you can block it by going to the Activity page. Your child will need permission to use it again and you can approve or disapprove via email.

Blocking inappropriate websites:

1. Sign into your Microsoft account using this page.
2. Find your child’s name and click Content restrictions.
3. Scroll to Web browsing and toggle Block inappropriate websites from off to On.
4. For blocking specific sites, add their URLs under Always blocked.
5. To limit your child to only browse specific websites, check the box next to Only allow these websites.

Require kids to ask a parent before purchasing in the Microsoft Store:

1. Find your child’s name and then choose Content restrictions.
2. Toggle Needs adult approval to buy things On.
3. Approve or deny their requests through your personal email or on account.microsoft.com/family.

Learn more at Microsoft Support

Mac OS Parental Controls Internet content filter

To enable internet content filtering:

1. From the Apple menu, select System Preferences.
2. Select Parental Controls.
3. Choose the user account on the left side of the window that you want to enable filtering for (your child’s account).
   Note: Parental Controls cannot be enabled for administrator accounts. Make sure your child’s account has managed access and is not an admin.
   
4. Select “Enable Parental Controls.”
5. Click the Content tab.
6. Choose one of the three modes under Website Restrictions (unrestricted, automatic, whitelist).

Apple’s Internet content filter three modes:

Learn more at Apple Support

1. Sign into your Chromebook.
2. Click on your account photo located in the lower right-hand corner of the screen.
3. When the pop-out window appears, choose the gear-shaped icon for Settings.
4. Scroll down to the section People and click Manage other users.
5. The Users interface should be visible. Select a check mark next to the Enable supervised users setting. Then select Done to return to the previous screen.
6. Click on your account photo again and select Sign out. Select Click More at the bottom of the screen with three vertical dots.
7. Then select Add supervised user. Click Create supervised user.
8. You’ll be prompted to choose the managing account for your new supervised user profile. Choose the desired account from the list and its password. Select Next to continue.
9. Enter a name and password for the supervised user. Add an image and click Next.
10. You now have a supervised profile and if successful, you’ll receive an email with more details.

Learn more at Chrome Support

Parental Control Chrome Extension

Internet Browser Parental Controls

Now that you have the device’s OS system controlled, it’s time to start on internet browser parental controls. We have detailed instructions for the three most common internet browsers: Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari.

Listed above, safari parental control is the same as Mac OS parental controls.

Safari Additional Support

1. Log into your Google account.
2. Click on the main menu button in the top right-hand corner with three vertical dots.
3. Once the drop-down menu appears, select Settings.
4. Select the section called People.
5. Select Add person and select an image and a name for the new user.
6. While creating this person, put a check in the checkbox next to Control and view the websites this person visits from [active user’s email address].
7. Next, click on Add and a new Chrome window will open.
8. Once the profile for your child is created, you’ll want to select Supervised Users Dashboard and click on My Child.
9. Here you can add parental control settings in the Permissions section and choose to “lock” SafeSearch.

Learn more at Google Support

You can also see which sites your child visits in the Activity setting and approve/disapprove their requests to access sites.  

Firefox automatically checks the parental controls on your device and sets itself to Prefer:Safe mode. This will auto turn on the safety feature on each website your child visits as long as there are active parental controls on your computer. The feature can only be turned off through password-protected parental settings on your operating system. That way your child will not be able to deactivate this feature through the Firefox browser. Here are Firefox add-ons for parental control.

Learn more at Firefox Support

Search Engine Parental Controls

While your OS system and internet browsers may be secure, it’s important to implement search engine parental controls. Kids will most likely use search engines to find websites for recreational use or educational use. Make sure their search is monitored by adding parental controls using our guide below.

1. Go to the Google search engine.
2. Go to Search Settings.
3. Under “SafeSearch filters,” check the box next to “Turn on SafeSearch.”
4. At the bottom of the page click Save.

Learn more at Google Support

1. Visit https://www.bing.com/account.
2. Under Search and SafeSearch toggle on Strict.
3. At the bottom of the page click Save.

Learn more at Bing Support

1. Open the Yahoo search engine in a browser or open the Yahoo search app and sign in.
2. Search for a term, then scroll down to Settings at the bottom left of the page.
3. Click Settings. 
4. Select Preferences.
5. Select your SafeSearch preference, then tap Done (if on iOS).

Learn more at Yahoo Help

Video Streaming Parental Controls

When it comes to video content, there are millions of videos getting published daily. Keep your children protected from PG-13 to R-rated content with these parental controls for video streaming. We have added parental controls for the most common video streaming sites: YouTube, Netflix and Hulu.

YouTube Kids has become available on both iOS and Android platforms. It is parental control enabled and filtered just for kids. YouTube Kids focuses its content on music, education and other categories. We recommend downloading this to their iPhones (if applicable) and/or keeping YouTube locked/passcode enabled if downloaded on your phone. If you still want to use the original YouTube app, follow these steps.

1. Launch YouTube and sign in.
2. Click on your profile picture on the top right of the screen and select Restricted Mode.
3. It will then open a drop-down menu where you can toggle Restricted Mode on.
4. For iOS, click on your profile and under Settings toggle on the Restricted Mode button. For Android users, the option can be found under Settings – General.

Learn more at YouTube Help

For Netflix, there are a variety of controls that you can choose from. They have hard and soft controls that parents can set up along with maturity levels for each individual profile.

Here are the types of age-limiting parental controls:

Account-level hard controls:

• Requiring a PIN for specific maturity ratings: Set a 4-digit PIN that is required to play any video content above a selected maturity level on any profile. The PIN ensures that your child doesn’t watch content rated above the selected maturity level.
• Requiring a PIN for specific video content: Set a 4-digit PIN that must be entered to play specific video content on any profile. This ensures your child does not watch the particular video content.

Setting up your PIN:

1. Go to your Account page from a web browser.
2. Choose the link for Parental controls in the Settings section.
3. Enter your Netflix credentials and select Continue.
4. Enter four numbers into the PIN field — this will be your PIN.
5. Set your PIN protection level from the following choices:
   • Little Kids: all ages
   • Older Kids: 7+, some 13+
   • Teens: 13+
   • Adults: 16+, 18+
6. Choose Save.

Account-level soft controls

• Choose a maturity level for a profile: Set a maturity level for a profile to control the video content available for that profile. The parent or guardian then ensures their child only uses their correct profile.

Set the maturity level for a profile:

1. Go to your Account page and select Manage Profiles.
2. Choose the profile you’d to edit.
3. Under Allowed TV shows and movies, choose your desired maturity level.
   • Little kids only – G, TV-Y, TV-G: video content suitable for all ages
   • Older kids and below – PG, TV-Y7, TV-Y7-FV, TV-PG : video content suitable for older kids
   • Teens and below – PG-13, TV-14: video content suitable for teens
   • All Maturity levels – R, NC-17, TV-MA: watch all video content, including mature content
4. Select Save.

Learn more at Netflix Help

Hulu parental control is based on the age associated with your Hulu profile. User accounts who specify an age under 17 will not be allowed to watch mature content (films rated R or TV-MA shows) using their individual profile. Hulu will also respect your device’s parental controls on devices such as an Xbox One. For Hulu Plus subscribers, there is a Hulu Kids section you can set up for your little ones.

Learn more at Hulu Help

Gaming Parental Controls

In many households, gaming is a popular choice for children and teens. It can even be a more popular activity than spending time online, so it’s important to make sure your parental controls are secure. Follow these how-tos for the most popular gaming systems.

Block inappropriate apps, games and media:

1. Sign in with your adult account on your Xbox.
2. Select the Xbox button on the controller to pull up the guide.
3. Select System > Settings > Account > Family.
4. Choose the account you want to update, select Access to content and then select the appropriate age limit you’d like.
5. When your child requests to use a blocked app or game, you can approve and add it to the the Always allowed list under Content restrictions.
6. If your child has downloaded something prior to setting these restrictions, you can block it on the Activity page. They will need your permissions to use it again. The permission request will be sent via email.

Block inappropriate websites:

1. Sign in with your adult account on your Xbox.
2. Press the Xbox button to open up the guide and then choose System > Settings > Account > Family.
3. Select your child’s account that you wish to add the web filters to and then select Web filtering.
4. Select the drop-down to view all of the options.
5. Choose the desired level of web filtering.

Require kids to ask a parent/guardian before purchasing on Microsoft Store:

1. Sign in with your adult Account on the console.
2. Press the Xbox button to pull up the guide, then choose System > Settings > Account > Family and choose your child’s account.
3. Select Privacy & online safety > Xbox Live privacy > View details & customize > Buy & download and select On from the drop-down.

Learn more at Xbox Support

Set Up Monthly Spending Limits:

1. Go to Settings > Parental Controls/Family Management > Family Management
2. Choose the user you want to set a spending limit for then select Applications/Devices/Network Features under the Parental Controls section.
3. Select Monthly Spending Limit and press X.

Restrict Access to Network Features:

1. Go to Settings > Parental Controls/Family management > Family Management. You might have to enter your PSN account password.
2. Select the user you want to set restrictions for and then select Applications/Devices/Network Features under the Parental Controls feature.
3. Under Network Features you can choose to allow a child family member to communicate with other players on PSN or view content created by other players.

Set Rating Levels for Games/Blu-ray Discs and DVDs:

1. Go to Settings > Parental Controls/Family Management > Family Management. You might need to enter your PSN account password.
2. Select the user you want to set the age level for, then select Applications/Devices/Network Features and choose the content you would like to restrict. Information on age level here.

Disable use of Web Browser and Playstation VR:

1. On your system, go to Settings > Parental Controls/Family Management > Family Management. You might need to enter your PSN account credentials.
2. Choose the user you want to set restrictions for. Then select Applications/Devices/Network Features.
3. Scroll down to Use of Playstation VR/Use of Internet Browser and select not allowed.

Set a login passcode:

1. On your PS4 system, go to Settings > Login Settings > Login Passcode Management.
2. Set a 4-digit passcode with the corresponding buttons on your DS4 controller.
3. Enter the 4-digit passcode again to confirm.
4. Once you’ve set the passcode, you can change or delete the login passcode at any time.

Learn more at PS4 Help

1. Log into Wii account.
2. Access System Settings.
3. Click on the blue arrows on the right to access Wii System Settings 2.
4. Select Parental Controls, then Yes.
5. Click “Ok” three times to begin the setup.
6. Add your desired PIN and select OK.
7. Input the PIN again and select OK.
8. Choose a security question and then click OK.
9. Add an answer and select OK.
10. Select Game Settings and PIN then The Highest Game Rating.
11. Using the blue arrow, scroll through the ESRB ratings.
12. Choose the desired rating restriction and then OK.
13. Select Restrict for each desired setting and then proceed.
14. Once your selections are made, select Confirm.

1. Log into Nintendo account.
2. On the Nintendo DSi Menu, select the Settings icon.
3. Choose the right arrow twice to reach the third page, then select Parental Controls.
4. Choose Yes, Next, then OK to reach the PIN screen.
5. Select Next, enter your desired four-digit PIN then tap OK. Enter the PIN once again to confirm, then tap OK.
6. Select OK again and enter a password to the secret question, then select OK.
7. Select OK and then tap the left/right arrows to scroll to the game rating icon for the highest-rated video game that you think is suitable for viewing on the system. Select OK to continue.
8. Next the system will take you through a number of questions where you will decide which features to restrict. Select Yes to block the feature or No to allow.
9. Select OK to confirm your selection. Select Yes to save the Parental Control settings.

Learn more at Nintendo Support

Levels of parental controls:

Choose the control setting based on the age of your child for both games and films.

Games:

Films:

If you are unsure which level to choose to prevent your child from playing a particular product, you can select the application or content from the XMB menu, press the Triangle button and then select Information.

Restrict the use of UMD and digital playback:

1. Go to Settings > Security Settings > Parental Control Level.
2. Input your password
3. Set the parental control level.
4. Once the levels are set, users who are restricted will see a padlock icon in place of the normal icon for the game or application. The default level is at 9, which is the 18 age rating.

Restrict the use of the internet browser:

1. Go to your Settings and scroll down to Security Settings. Then press the X button.
2. Select Internet Browser Start Control and press the X button.
3. Enter your 4 digit password.
4. Select On if you prefer to have the Internet Browser Start Control enabled.
5. Then press the circle button twice to exit out of the Internet Browser Start Control menu.

Learn more at Playstation Help

Cell Phone Parental Controls

Whether your child has their own Android or Apple device or they use yours, it’s important to set up cell phone parental controls. You can turn off function such as in-app purchasing, restricting web search, and more.

Settings for iPhone and iPad in iOS 12

Set content & privacy restrictions:

1. Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.

1. Tap Continue, then select Use Screen Time Passcode to create a passcode. Re-enter the passcode to confirm.
   • Note: If you’re setting up Screen Time on your child’s device, follow the prompts until you get to Parent Passcode and enter a passcode. Then, re-enter the passcode to confirm.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. Enter your passcode if applicable, then turn on Content & Privacy.

Prevent web content:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and enter your Screen Time passcode.
3. Tap Content Restrictions, then tap Web Content.
4. Choose Limit Adult Websites, or Allowed Websites Only.

Prevent iTunes & App Store purchase:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
2. Select Content & Privacy Restrictions. If prompted, enter your passcode.
3. Make your selections on which to Allow under Store Purchases & Redownloads.
4. Select Always Require a password.

Prevent explicit content and content ratings:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then choose Content Restrictions.
3. Choose the settings you want for each feature or setting under Allowed Store Content.

Learn more at Apple Support

Set up parental controls:

1. Sign in with your own Google account or use their account if they have one.
2. Launch the Play Store app and tap the three horizontal lines at the top left.
3. Scroll down and select Settings, and scroll until you see Parental controls.
4. Tap the Parental controls and create a PIN code. Re-enter the PIN.
5. The setting will be turned on and you can then tap each category to set how restricting you’d like each category to be.

Use Family Link:

1. Download the Family Link app on your device.
2. Launch the app and select Get Started.
3. Choose Start on the Set up Family Link screen and follow the prompts to progress through the setup.
4. Answer a few questions about whether your child has a compatible device and select that you want to create a child’s account and to start a family group.
5. Enter your child’s first and last names and press Next.
6. Add their birthday and gender, then press Next.
7. Choose a Gmail username and press Next.
8. Then add a password and press Next.
9. Agree to the Terms and Conditions and add credit card information.
10. To add the account on your child’s device, start by turning on their phone and signing in using their account.
11. Then enter your own Google password and press Next. Family Link will now be installed on your child’s device.

Learn more at Google Play Support

Parental Control Apps

The final step you can take to secure your child’s online activity is with a parental control app. In the world of mobile phones and tablets, it adds a level of protection to keep your child safe.

Panda Dome Family helps you keep your child safe while spending time online. It  allows system administrators to prevent users from accessing websites that contain unwanted content. It also features a GPS tracking system so you can always know where your children are. It can additionally block unwanted calls and allow parents/adults to block access to certain apps.

Sources:

Technobezz | Lifewire | Netflix | Techwiser | Huffington Post | PC Mag | Tech Advisor |

The post How to Set Parental Controls On All Your Devices appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

If you’re the parent of a tween, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the popular social media app TikTok, a video-sharing platform where users can watch, create, and share self-made videos shot on cell phones. While the app can be a source of creativity and fun for users, many parents are understandably hesitant to embrace it with the same excitement as their Gen Z counterparts.

As technology continues to evolve, it can be a challenge to keep up. Questions of online safety and data privacy concerns are top of mind for many parents when it comes to their teens’ involvement with TikTok.

Given the app’s increasing rise in popularity—and recent media attention regarding alleged privacy concerns—it’s important to understand what exactly your child is consuming as well as what information is being shared about them online. Here’s what you need to know when it comes to your child’s safety on TikTok and what steps you can take to protect them online.

Table of Contents

• What is TikTok?
• Risks to Consider
• Safety Measures to Take
• Kid-Friendly TikTok Alternatives

What is TikTok?

TikTok is a video-sharing platform where users can watch, create and share videos shot on cell phones. The content found on TikTok runs the gamut from lip-syncing and comedic dancing to educational videos on topics like health or politics. The app provides an interactive world of video-based content where users can connect with each other. But as the TikTok craze continues to spread worldwide, many parents wonder about the safety implications of the app their kids can’t get enough of, particularly if their kids are on the younger side.

TikTok’s official age requirement is 13 years old. Users between the age of 13 and 15 have their account set to private by default, which prohibits them from private messaging and only allows friends to comment on their videos. Only users over the age of 16 can record live videos or use the private messaging feature.

The community associated with the world of TikTok makes it particularly interactive and engaging for users. In addition to creating their own videos, users can follow other creators on the app and engage with their creations through likes, comments, and messages.

Although TikTok has become an entertaining and engaging pastime for many, every social media app comes with some level of risk when it comes to online safety and data privacy. While the majority of content is harmless, there are still some areas of caution to be aware of.

Risks to Consider

If your child uses TikTok and you’re worried about what exactly they’re getting into, you aren’t alone. Educating yourself on the potential safety issues associated with TikTok can help you determine whether or not you’re comfortable with your child using it. Here are the main risks to know about the app.

Exposure to Inappropriate Content

TikTok is split into two main feed sections. The “Following” feed only displays videos created by the users you follow. The “For You” feed curates a stream of suggested videos based on your account activity and the type of content you typically watch.

Things can get problematic when it comes to the For You feed, which could end up surfacing videos containing inappropriate content—whether it’s sexually explicit, profane or physically dangerous.

While TikTok’s guidelines bar users from sharing illegal or inappropriate content within the app, videos aren’t manually monitored and vetted. Instead, digital algorithms are used to filter out content that violates TikTok’s guidelines. This means that some inappropriate content will inevitably slip through the cracks and make its way onto users’ screens.

Contact With Strangers

With over 1.1 billion people using TikTok, the potential for communicating with strangers runs high. Accounts created by those over the age of 16 are set to public by default, meaning their account activity is visible to anyone. This means they can communicate with anyone and everyone they encounter on the app, including strangers. While accounts made by kids between the ages of 13 and 15 are set to private by default, this restriction can easily be bypassed by entering a false birth date when registering for an account.

Having a public account means more than just having your profile and videos visible to anyone on and off TikTok. It also allows your account to be suggested to other users within the app, enables anyone to comment on your videos, and allows your videos to be downloaded by other users. While these settings can be adjusted to allow for more privacy, the possibility of contact with strangers will always exist.

Cyberbullying

You’re likely aware that social media and cyberbullying go hand in hand, and TikTok is no exception. Whether it’s strangers sharing their harmful opinions or even comments from friends your child knows in real life, TikTok—like every other social media platform—provides a fertile ground for cyberbullying to take root.

A major form of cyberbullying that’s occurred increasingly within TikTok is body shaming. Famous TikTok users have spoken up about their personal experiences being body-shamed in the comment section of their videos and dealing with an endless slew of harmful comments about their body shape and size. This can have far-reaching effects on younger users who are still developing mentally and physically, potentially leading to feelings of worthlessness and humiliation.

Data Privacy

A common concern with any social media platform is the question of how your data is being used. The important thing to realize is that while we tend to think of social media platforms as free, they technically aren’t. They’re paid for by advertisers in exchange for companies like TikTok to show their ads to users on the app.

In order for those ads to be successful and reach their ideal target audience, they need data about those people. That’s how TikTok (and many other social media platforms) makes money: by selling user data to advertisers.

With this in mind, parents should understand what data is being collected on their kids and how it’s being used. TikTok gathers your country location, Internet address and the type of device you’re using. With your permission, it can also have your exact location, phone contacts and activity on other social media channels. In addition to your age and phone number, TikTok also has access to any private messages sent within the app.

Safety Measures to Take

If you want to ensure your child uses TikTok safely, there are several steps you can take. TikTok has a variety of privacy control settings that you can set up from your child’s account that can provide a safer experience on the app. Read on for an overview of what safety settings you can manage in TikTok, along with some additional safety precautions you can take to make sure your child is staying safe online.

Use Family Pairing

Family Pairing Mode is a recent addition to the available privacy control measures you can manage on TikTok. Both the parent and child must have their own separate TikTok accounts in order to enable it.

Once enabled, parents can link their account to their child’s and have control of important privacy settings from their own device. (Previously, parents had to adjust privacy settings within the app on their child’s device.) It’s also password-protected, so unless your child guesses your passcode, they can’t go in and reverse the settings you put in place.

Family Pairing enables parents to manage screen time, direct messaging settings, and the type of content their child can see on the app. To set up Family Pairing, download the TikTok app on your phone and create an account. You’ll also need your child’s phone and their TikTok account logged in and open. Here’s what to do from there:

• Tap the three dots next to your user profile, then scroll down to Digital Wellbeing.
• Tap Family Pairing and select whether the phone you’re using belongs to you or your child.
• A QR code will be displayed on your phone. To link your accounts, your child must scan the QR code.
• You can now access and manage the security features of your child’s account.

Here’s some additional information on what exactly you can control with Family Pairing:

• Screen Time Management: You can adjust how long your child is allowed to spend on TikTok per day.
• Direct Messages: You can restrict who can send messages to your child’s account (Everyone or Friends only), or turn off direct messaging completely. Direct messaging is automatically disabled for users between the ages of 13 and 15.
• Restricted Mode: This setting automatically filters out content from your child’s feed that may not be appropriate for young audiences.

• Liked Videos: You can adjust who can view the videos your child has liked (Everyone or Friends only).
• Comments: You can control who can comment on your child’s videos (Everyone, Friends only or no one).
• Suggest Account to Others: Control whether your child’s account can be recommended to others or not.

If your child manages to disable the Family Pairing setting, you will receive a notification on your phone to let you know.

Control Screen Time

You can set limits on how much time your child spends on TikTok. While you can manage this setting using the Family Pairing feature, you don’t have to set up Family Pairing to adjust it. Keep in mind that without Family Pairing activated, you’ll need to manage this setting from your child’s device. Here’s how to adjust your child’s screen time settings:

• From your child’s device, open the TikTok app.
• Go to profile, then tap the three dots button to open settings.
• Scroll down to Digital Wellbeing.
• Select Screen Time Management.
• Tap the red button to turn it on.
• Choose and confirm a passcode.

To turn Screen Time Management off, simply repeat steps one through four, then choose “Turn off Screen Time Management.”

Direct Messages

You can limit who can send direct messages to your child’s account, or you can turn off direct messaging completely. If you don’t have Family Pairing activated, you can still control this setting—you’ll just have to adjust it directly from your child’s device. Here’s how to manage this setting:

• From your child’s device, open the TikTok app.
• Go to profile, then tap the three dots button to open settings.
• Scroll down to Privacy and Safety.
• Select Who can send you messages.
• Choose Everyone, Friends, or Off.

Activate Restricted Mode

Restricted Mode allows you to prohibit inappropriate content from displaying on your child’s TikTok feed. While you can manage this setting using the Family Pairing feature described above, you don’t have to set up Family Pairing to adjust it. Keep in mind that without Family Pairing activated, you’ll need to manage this setting from your child’s device. Here’s how to activate Restricted Mode:

• From your child’s device, open the TikTok app.
• Go to profile, then tap the three dots button to open settings.
• Scroll down to Digital Wellbeing.
• Select Restricted Mode.
• Choose “Turn on Restricted Mode.”
• Choose and confirm your passcode.

To turn Restricted Mode off, simply repeat steps one through four, then choose “Turn off Restricted Mode.”

Manage Interactions

There are many additional privacy settings you can adjust to increase your child’s safety while using the app. You’ll have to adjust them from your child’s device, but you can make them passcode-protected to avoid your child interfering with the controls you put in place.

To access additional privacy settings, open TikTok on your child’s device. Go to their profile, then tap the three dots button to open settings. Scroll down to Privacy and Safety, then navigate to the following sections to access more settings:

Under Discoverability:

• If you want your child’s account to be private, toggle Private Account to on.
• To keep your child’s account from being suggested to other users, toggle Suggest Your Account to Others off.

Under Personalization and Data:

• To limit the amount of data TikTok collects from your child’s account, toggle Personalized Ads off.

Under Safety:

• Toggle Allow Your Videos to Be Downloaded off.
• Turn Who Can Send You Direct Messages to no one.
• Turn Who Can React to Your Videos to no one.
• Set Who Can View Your Liked Photos to Only me.
• Turn Who Can Comment on Your Videos to no one.

Keep in mind you’ll have the option to set these features to Everyone, Friends or no one. Choosing the “no one” setting provides the highest level of privacy and security. If you choose the Friends setting, it’s a good idea to continually monitor who your child adds to their friends list going forward.

Discuss Internet Safety with Your Kids

For all the ways safety measures you can take to protect your children, there’s always the possibility of something slipping through the cracks. Not only that, but kids may also try to sidestep parents’ digital boundaries and find ways to get around them. That’s why taking time to teach your kids about online safety might be one of the most impactful safety measures you can take as a parent.

By teaching your children why certain boundaries are put into place and helping them understand the severity of certain dangers that lurk online, they’ll be more equipped to manage their own social media experiences.

Kid-Friendly TikTok Alternatives

Even after learning about the safety measures TikTok provides to make sure your child uses the app safely, you might still prefer if they didn’t use it at all. If this is the case, check out these safer alternatives to TikTok that your child can enjoy in place of TikTok.

Dubsmash

Dubsmash is one of the oldest music video apps, but it got overshadowed by the rise of TikTok. However, with over one hundred million downloads worldwide, its popularity is undeniable. Dubsmash allows users to create fun lip-sync videos using thousands of different songs and sounds. It also lets you lip-sync over movie and TV quotes. The online community is similar in nature to TikTok because users post their music videos to their profile and can also view their friends’ videos.

Funimate

Funimate lets users create a variety of videos: slow-motion, compilation videos, looped videos, and a lot more. The app’s large music library allows you to include countless popular songs and sound effects in your videos, and you can also add text and stickers to your videos. Funimate features over twenty video effects to make creations pop and let users showcase their creativity.

Triller

Triller is a safer alternative to TikTok that lets you record videos and share them on other social media accounts like Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. The simplicity of the app is what attracts most users, including celebrities like Kevin Hart and Selena Gomez. All you have to do is record your footage, and Triller’s auto-editing tool does the rest of the work. Users can edit their videos further with editing tools provided in the app, and can use a variety of filters or even draw on the videos for another level of creativity and personalization.

With an overwhelming amount of information available and the ever-changing nature of technology, it can be difficult for parents to keep a pulse on the most important information about the platforms their kids are using. Knowing what privacy settings you can control and setting boundaries with your children is a great way to keep your child protected from online threats, including keeping malware and data breaches at bay.

Ensure your whole family stays protected by maintaining antivirus software on all of your connected devices, and decrease the chances of you or your child becoming a victim of cybersecurity threats.

The post Is TikTok Safe for Kids? Here’s What Parents Should Know appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Before the effects of COVID-19 began a virtual learning standard for students across the world, 49% of learners said they had taken a course online in the last year, according to Statista. With government-mandated school closures and the influx of remote work, the responsibility to create a successful learning environment is on the shoulders of parents more than ever before.

The academic progress of children has to be carefully monitored as the landscape of learning dramatically shifts. By staying attuned to the lesson plans of teachers, parents can begin to recognize the signs of their child’s educational growth on their own. But how do you create the balance of successful education for your children, while managing an entire workload and daily tasks? Set parental controls on all edtech, create a line of open communication with your child and their teacher, recognize the signs of struggling with material or general online learning, and help create an effective learning schedule.

1. Virtual Learning Benefits
2. Types of Virtual Learning
3. Work from Home and Virtual Learning
4. How to Measure Engagement
5. Signs of Virtual Learning Challenges
6. Additional Resources

Virtual Learning Benefits

Many objections to virtual learning stem from the fear of de-socialization and decreased learning. In theory, however, the benefits of e-learning far outweigh the challenges, and offer just as many, if not more, perks of an in-person classroom. Advocates highlight the wider variety of subjects and the ability to make-up previously failed courses while working at a personalized, often slower, pace.

Virtual learning benefits include:

• More cost-effective than traditional schools.
• Immediate test feedback.
• Wider variety of subjects than a standard in-person course.
• More personalized lesson plans.
• Greater schedule flexibility.
• Fewer learning approaches with maximized performance impact.
• Ease of accommodating special education needs.
• Increased parental involvement in academics.

Types of Virtual Learning

Virtual learning can either be partly or completely done online. Lessons can range from live lessons via video to pre-recorded versions. Additionally, virtual learning can employ the use of applications and tools online to supplement in-class instruction.

Different types of virtual learning include:

• Fully virtual classroom: This model is a synchronous online course where students and teachers attend live lessons and group interactions.
• Asynchronous online course: Sometimes called a flex virtual classroom, students are able to leave and attend class at any time. All academics are pre-recorded and planned so students have the most flexibility to complete the material with this model.
• Rotation model: Also called blended learning or an enriched virtual classroom, in this model, students split their time learning remotely and attending a traditional classroom.

Managing Working from Home and Virtual Learning

Oftentimes, working from home deserves an adjustment period of its own. When this shift happens on top of the required virtual learning mandates, there is a higher chance of failure without the proper set up.

Before beginning coursework or logging on for the workday, it’s important to define two dedicated spaces for both classroom and work stations. Dedicated workspaces increase the chance of productivity, and the ability to separate work and home life. While preparing, expect technical difficulties during the adjustment period, and plan for them by allowing buffer time in the school and work schedules.

Set a Schedule

Creating a routine that works for everyone is vital for a productive and satisfying work day. Just as you would for a telecommuting job, define a schedule. Make sure hygiene practices are standard, and consider adding an alternative commute. This could be as simple as walking around the block before starting the work day.

Schedule your child’s day in at least one-hour blocks so you have plenty of time for heads-down work. Encourage them to take breaks outside with you and stretch throughout the day. Just as important as getting a proper start to the day, it’s just as important to set a hard stop for healthy boundaries.

Sample student schedule:

• (7:30am) Walk around the block
• (8:00am) Breakfast
• (8:30am) Class begins
• (10:30am) Stretch break
• (11:00am) Dedicated self-study
• (12:00pm) Lunch
• (12:30) Online lessons
• (2:00pm) Walk around the block
• (2:15pm) Dedicated self-study
• (3:15pm) Rotating activity

Sample work from home schedule:

• (7:30am) Walk around the block
• (8:00am) Breakfast
• (8:30am) Touch base with team
• (9:00am) Tasks
• (10:30am) Stretch break
• (11:00am) Assist with self-study
• (12:00pm) Lunch
• (12:30) Tasks
• (2:00pm) Walk around the block
• (2:15pm) Emails
• (3:00pm) Assist with daily activity
• (3:15pm) Set tomorrow’s schedule

Create Assignments and Due Dates

Before beginning the work, define goals for your child. Accompany those requirements with a rewards system. These needs to be discussed and can adjust as lessons progress. Reiterate how online lesson plans are just as important as in-class activities. Stress important due dates and consider making strict at-home due dates for self-study and virtual activities.

Plan Post-Lesson Activities

It’s not uncommon for a work day to last longer than the average day at school. To avoid the post-class boredom, incentivize your little one’s progress with fun activities. Consider milestone activities that are extra special when test scores jump, or an assignment gets a high mark.

Consider these ideas to continue the learning well after the teacher logs off:

• Tour virtual museums
• Participate in Minecraft playground
• Enlist specialized STEM learning activities
• Explore a National Park with virtual tours

Child Engagement and Virtual Learning

The downfalls of virtual learning can be the feeling of isolation and de-socialisation. A key to ensuring the quality of online education lies in your child’s engagement. By nurturing online relationships and interactions, mentoring when applicable, staying organized and instructing when needed, inspiring continual motivation is simple.

How to Measure Virtual Learning Engagement

Oftentimes in virtual learning environments, teachers encourage parents to get involved more than is typical in a standard school setting. Open communication with your child and their instructor is an integral part of success in an online program.

• Discuss teaching goals: Have a one-on-one with the instructor a few times throughout the curriculum and gauge where your child is compared to the rest of the students.
• Talk to your child: Encourage open communication and ask your child how they’re feeling about the lessons, and their performance, frequently.
• Monitor grades: Note any significant drops or changes in grades. Identify the problem when applicable, and create a plan of action necessary.
• Notice social shifts: If your child is withdrawn, or has a lack of interest for things that were normally of interest, have a conversation first, and bring in a counselor if necessary.

Utilize Virtual Learning Tools Safely

Edtech has boomed in and out of the classroom in recent years. So much so, that it’s often difficult to distinguish between quality applications and unsafe ones. Luckily, school districts have a list of approved tools you can reference throughout the course of the curriculum.

To ensure your child’s data privacy online, check that non pre-approved edtech adheres to the following:

• Only use educational apps: Application is used for educational purposes, not consumer. Consumer technology typically does not employ stringent data usage policies.
• Review the privacy policy: There is a privacy policy in place that confirms data will be used for in-app performance only, and will not be sold to any third party sources.
• Check website for encryption: Website has an “s” in the https portion of the web URL. This informs the user that the website is encrypted.

Signs Your Child is Struggling with Virtual Learning

A flexible mindset and positive attitude towards virtual learning will help create a successful transition. Although there will be an adjustment period, and things will likely not go as planned every step of the way, it’s important to keep an open mind and line of communication.

Online learning presents the opportunity for out-of-the box thinking, and creative solutions. If your child is struggling with the curriculum, analyze and adapt. The beauty of virtual learning is the personalization aspect. So, if you see these signs of virtual learning challenges for your child, take the opportunity to gain insight and adjust the course accordingly.

Late Assignments

• The sign: Late assignments.
• What to do: If you’re getting notifications of late work, find out if there is technology your child is lacking to complete the task, or they need supervision to complete their work. Create deadlines and follow-up on them appropriately.

Poor Time Management

• The sign: Poor time management.
• What to do: Sit with your child each night and go through the tasks that were completed throughout the day. Make a plan for the next day with a set schedule, if needed.

Not Asking for Help

• The sign: Not asking for help.
• What to do: Find out what your child’s favorite mode of communication is: email, phone, or video chat. Allow them to send you drafts of their question, or practice with you before they discuss with the teacher or other students.

Lack of Motivation

• The sign: The lack of motivation.
• What to do: If your child is not motivated by grades or course completion, consider using outside rewards for passing grades and notable work.

Disinterest in Activities

• The sign: Uninterested in outside activities and extracurriculars.
• What to do: Have a conversation with your child. Find out if there is a specific reason, or person, your child doesn’t want to see. If the disinterest persits, it may be time to bring in a counselor.

Additional Resources

The world of virtual learning comes with endless possibilities when it comes to teaching and utilizing educational resources. Use the below to further your understanding and better your at-home edtech practices.

• UNESCO Distance Learning Solutions
• Discovery Education and Virtual Learning
• California Department of Education

Virtual learning is a chance to personalize the classroom beyond after-hours. By assisting your child in becoming a successful self-motivated student, they’ll reap the benefits of creative problem solving, a wider knowledge base, and a flexible schedule.

Sources: Global Workplace Analytics | Research Gate

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Students now use technological devices both in school and at home. But what does that mean for student data privacy? The age of digital media means adapting education techniques to include edtech. With increased accessibility for all ages, new policing and privacy strategies must continually improve to protect the influx of data. 

Understanding how students interact on different platforms and networks is critical to successfully educating youth and securing student privacy. As educators, it’s important to verify the applications students use are vetted for data privacy.

Following student confidentiality laws falls in the hands of the administrators. So what can you do to protect student data privacy? Educate yourself on the different types of data. Know federal and state student privacy laws. Lastly, seek out ways to protect student data.

What is Student Data?

In short, any piece of data that can be combined with other information to identify a student is considered student data. This can include names, addresses, demographics, birth dates, student IDs, login information, and any data that includes personally identifiable information, or PII. 

Types of Student Data

Although data is collected in a number of ways, edtech generally saves the following:

• Education Records: These records include information like academic and disciplinary records. Parents and guardians have access to education records until a child is 18 years old. 
• Demographics: Student demographic data can include the child’s address, contact information, first language, any medical alerts, designations for free-and-reduced price meals, and specialized teaching requirements.
• De-Identified Data: De-identified data is student data that has been obscured so that a single student cannot be identified. 
• Aggregate Data: When de-identified data is collected from groups of students, it’s considered aggregate data.

Who has Access?

Generally, a number of local, state, and federal institutions receive student data. Depending on the relationship, they will receive a different access point. 

Locally, teachers can use student data to monitor activities online that may harm others or themselves, along with insight into educational gaps. Oftentimes, school counselors will have access to more data than teachers, and can often assist in identifying students with troublesome home lives.

On a familial level, parents and guardians also have access to all available data until the child is 18 years old. Districts and states may use student data to allocate resources. On a federal level, the U.S. state department may use the data to allocate federal funds. 

Student Data Privacy Laws

Data privacy laws in regards to edtech aim to achieve student data privacy, including the use, collection, handling and governance of students’ personally identifiable information (PII). State laws are more poignant than federal ones and vary significantly across the country. 

Student Data Privacy Federal Laws

• Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA): The Family Educational Rights Privacy Act applies to education records only. It allows parents and guardians access to amend education records and the right to control how PII is disclosed.
• The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA): The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act aims to protect data for children under the age of 13 from websites and other third party operators.
• National School Lunch Act (NSLA): The National School Lunch Act implements stricter privacy laws, regulating information such as which students are eligible for free-and-reduced price meals. 

 Student Data Privacy State Laws

While federal laws regulate general PII records, state laws protect all types of data and how it’s processed. In five years, lawmakers across the country have implemented 120 bills to govern how K-12 students’ data is collected and used.

This legislation ranges in data protection methods. For example, Arizona has enacted a bill that requires an option for parents to opt-out of releasing demographic information to other families within the school. In contrast, Maryland enacted a bill that lengthens the period of time a school can use student data, increasing from five to 20 years.

Edtech Safety in the Classroom

Edtech is vital to facilitate individualized and engaging classroom learning. However, without the proper safety precautions in place, teachers face legal implications. In the worst case, data could be sold by third parties. 

In 2019, schools within the United States experienced three times the amount of data breaches as the previous year. The total number of attacks reached 348, says the K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center. Actively seeking ways to reduce these types of breaches is essential for parents, teachers, administrators, and lawmakers. 

The 2019 State of Edtech Privacy Report explained that while applications and services doubled their median privacy rating during 2018, 80% of apps and services are still not meeting the benchmark safety precautions set by legislation. 

As a teacher, edtech hardware and software should be vetted carefully. Before using these tools in the classroom make sure to:

• Seek approval from the school or district.
• Do your research. Don’t just rely on other teachers or conferences for new recommendations.
• Read through the terms of service and privacy policies.

Online Safety Tips for Teachers

These data privacy tips are not an exhaustive list, and it’s important to seek out additional tips from administrators and state legislators. 

• What to look for: Technology designed for education, not consumers.
  Why it matters: Consumer technologies are not required to follow the same laws as educational technologies to protect student privacy, which creates legal risks.
• What to look for: Websites with an “s” in the URL.
  Why it matters: The “s” in “https” identifies the site as an encrypted page. This will be important to protect student data, such as login credentials.
• What to look for: Web address bars without the grey “i” icon.
  Why it matters: This icon indicates that anyone may be able to access the information you provide on the website. 
• What to look for: Websites with a privacy policy.
  Why it matters: If a website’s privacy policy is hard to find, or doesn’t exist, it’s a safe bet that student data won’t be secured on the page. 
• What to look for: Apps and tools that have previously been vetted by the school.
  Why it matters: Schools that have already vetted an app have typically reviewed the privacy policy, parental permissions, and information about what data is being shared.
• What to look for: Commitment from the merchant to not share data other than what’s necessary for using the product.
  Why it matters: This ensures the merchant won’t sell student data either directly or via a subcontractor.
  
• What to look for: Websites, applications, and tech without clickwrap agreements.
  Why it matters: Clickwrap agreements are legally binding, and control how student and school data is used.

As edtech useage increases, we must adapt to new technologies and how they affect the privacy of data. Monitoring data is beneficial to protect against cyberbullying, self-harm, and potential threats. Nonetheless, consider how long this information will follow children on their records. Additionally, take it upon yourself to protect student data from the wrong hands.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education | FERPA/SHERPA | K12 Cyber Secure |

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