Kids susceptible to predators with use of hand-held video games
Oh my gosh … yet another reason to teach our kids to balance their activities … now the predators are finding kids through the hand held video games, even when the kids are on school grounds or at home! I couldn’t believe this segment I saw on the Today Show on July 17, 2008. Matt Lauer introduced Natalie Morales who was interviewing Parry Aftab, a cyber crimes specialist from New Jersey and founder of WiredSafety and the Tween Angel Network. Matt introduced the piece by telling the audience “Authorities tell us that many of today’s gaming devices as well as some popular internet games potentially could allow predators to contact your kids.” Then the conversation ensued between Natalie Morales, Parry Aftab and a computer crimes detective that went like this:
Natalie Morales: “These games are all the rage these days but parents should be forewarned. Whether your kids are playing them on the home computer or they are using those handheld devices, well they could be connecting to some unwelcome players.”
Detective Tom - a computer crimes investigator: “These predators are ALWAYS going to go where the children are.”
Natalie Morales: Detective Tom a computer crimes investigator, says the new frontier for sexual predators is internet games. Games that can be accessed from desktop computers, home gaming consoles, even smaller handheld devices anywhere there is wireless internet access.”
Detective: “All of these different, smaller types of devices that we wouldn’t normally consider something that would be used to commit a crime, are being used.”
Natalie: “With some games you don’t even need a wireless connection. Nintendo DS has a feature called “pictochat”. The tweens showed me how it works, connecting people up to a hundred feet away with no internet. Now if it’s a stranger off of school property, now that’s where you’re worried. Because somebody just outside of that school fence could probably make contact with you. It’s not just strangers who can pose a problem. So kids are actually bullying each other, chatting back and forth on these devices.”
Matt: Parry, I had no idea that gaming could allow people to contact your kids. None what so ever”
Parry: “And that’s why we’re doing this piece. A lot of parents don’t realize it either and they may walk into a store and buy the latest handheld game or gaming device without realizing that their kids can talk to others and others can talk to their kids.”
Natalie: “It’s really important to set ground rules.”
Parry: “Bottom line, you’re the parent and unless you are willing to take that responsibility, know when to turn things on and off, set the rules and enforce the rules, you have no business getting your kids electronics at all.”
Matt: “And this can’t be one conversation. Once you set those ground rules you have to reinforce this over and over. These have to be almost weekly conversations with your kids.”
Parry Aftab and Matt Lauer summed it up beautifully … parents need to parent! Priority Patrol is the only hands on, tangible tool on the market that can help parents with this problem that faces all families in the new millennium!
