Think Internet safety from the earliest ages

A resident physician at Stony Brook University Medical School recently got herself into trouble by posting an old photo of a former classmate giving two thumbs up next to a cadaver on Facebook. The story was splashed across the front page of Newsday and quickly beamed across the country. Stony Brook directed the resident to remove the post, and with her reputation clearly damaged, she wound up apologizing.

The story is an object lesson in what not to do on the Internet.

For some strange reason, many people — even young doctors — are under the misguided impression that they can post anything on the Internet and there will be no consequences. There often are, as this case demonstrates.

These days, too many teenagers are publishing photos of themselves drunk or strung out on drugs. Or they’re sexting — e-mailing X-rated photos of themselves to so-called friends who forward the e-mails to other friends. Before long an entire school has seen the nude pictures, and the young person winds up looking and feeling like a fool — or worse.

Add Internet safety to the growing list of issues that parents and educators face these days. And with young people logging on to the Internet from the youngest ages, online safety should be taught early, experts say.

It’s important to know that the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 requires companies to protect children’s identities on the Web until age 13. After that, all bets are off. There’s nothing requiring them to protect teenagers’ privacy.
Parents should teach their kids how to protect their own privacy from the time they start logging on. Set up house rules. GetNetWise.org, a project of the Internet Education Foundation, offers the following “Kids Guide for Privacy Online”:

■ If I want to give out or type in information about myself online, I will first show my parents — even it it’s to enter a game or contest.

■ I will only respond to e-mails or instant messages from people I know, or from addresses I know.

■ If I receive an e-mail or instant message that makes me feel uncomfortable or I think is weird, I will not respond and will show my parent or my teacher.

■ If a Web site asks me to type in my name, address, e-mail and hobbies, I will tell my parents first and ask them if it’s OK.

■ If a Web site asks for my parents’ e-mail address to seek their permission for me to enter a game or provide my personal information, I will always provide my parents’ correct information.

You should also discuss how nothing that’s posted online ever really leaves the Internet. It can probably be found somewhere at some point in the future. So be careful about what you post.

Teenagers, especially, should be mindful of who’s taking pictures of them and where and how they will be posted.

The Internet is a wonderful learning tool that can open virtually unlimited horizons if it is negotiated with appropriate caution. If not, it can be one very scary place.