I am officially waving the white flag. I surrender. I have finally come to the realization that I cannot keep up with my children’s online activities AND work, do the laundry, get dinner ready, oversee homework, etc. The breadth as well as the depth of online dangers are simply too great for one person to police without help. And, I am not just talking about internet predators, but also cyberbullying, sexting, and the misuse of social media.

A quick search finds some staggering statistics:

• Cyber Bullying – About half of young people have experienced some form of cyber bullying, and 10 to 20 percent experience it regularly. And only about 1 in 10 children tells a parent if they have been a victim. *Source
• Sexting – 39% of all teenagers have either sent or posted sexually suggestive messages and 20% have sent or posted nude or semi-nude pictures or videos of themselves. *Source
• Internet Predators – One in five teenagers who regularly log on to the Internet say they have received an unwanted sexual solicitation via the Web. *Source
• While these statistics are based on surveys and may not be 100% accurate, it is still apparent that these dangers are real and we need to pay attention to them. I’m hoping that through Cyber Safety Consulting and my blog, I can help keep our children safe.