Webs, tweets, sms, texting, social media, sexting, IM Chat and every other tool linked to the internet is part of a cyber space experience for parents interested in finding out what their children are doing on the world wide web.

The brainchild of the director of the e-Skills Hub at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Colin Thakur, the project aims to inform parents of the dangers of internet usage
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Thakur’s talk is supported by multimedia effects and he provides real world current examples of internet events, their causes, consequence, and prevention. He starts off by telling his audience that one in five children online is approached by a predator.

Thakur recommends all parents use technology to reconnect with their children.

“I consider myself to be a digital activist and was surprised, even annoyed by the lack of advisory material for parents in the cyber world.”

He said we taught our children not to tell strangers their telephone numbers, yet they innocently post pictures on Facebook, of themselves in front of their house with the street address visible.

A cyber predator now has information to stalk and befriend the child.
“This is vital information about your child which is used to establish an emotional connection. A parent must be equipped to be aware of signs to determine if a child is an online addict, being stalked, or cyber bullied,” he said.

The presentation is a two-hour slide show billed Safe Internet: What Every Parent Should Know .

He warns against parents becoming super sleuths (cyber detectives). “Don’t take your kids on, this is much more than an intellectual battle… you will lose. Kids are smarter and more versatile,” he joked.

Thakur was the previous chairman of the KZN chapter of the Computer Society of South Africa.

The next class is on Saturday, September 22, at 10am.

Call Nokwanda Mazibuko at 031 373 3013, or Cindy Swart at 031 373 6412 to book.

Classes are free.

–http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/lifestyle
September 17 2012 at 09:00am
By Juggie Naran