Internet poses stranger danger
Stan and Jan Berenstain provided many of my childhood life lessons.
Through the adventures and mishaps of Mama, Papa, Brother and Sister Bear, I learned about "Too Much Junk Food," "The Messy Room" and, my personal favorite, "The Bike Lesson."
After an Ohio teen was located in town after allegedly being lured to town via the Internet, I decided it was time for the Berenstains to pen another book, "Internet Stranger Danger."
Though the Bears' "Learn About Strangers" is early in the series, the Internet age is begging for a personal safety text geared toward the age group that is using the Internet more and more each day.
Web sites dedicated to Sponge Bob Square Pants, Blue's Clues and Bear in the Big Blue House give children a great chance to learn and play in the same format they will eventually use for research and work.
In a way, computer use to kids today is like giving kids a pencil and paper when I was growing up. They will need to know how to use a mouse, how to log on, log out and send e-mail. There is no denying the importance of computer literacy among today's Berenstain Bears age group.
The scary thing about children on the Internet is that they are often too naive to realize the stranger danger that often lurks in the most friendly looking places.
In "The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers," there is a point when Sister becomes scared of all strangers after seeing a newspaper article about missing cubs. The same park she once saw as friendly and sunny becomes scary and dark.
Mama explains that this is not necessarily the case. The park is not a bad place and not all strangers are bad either, but it doesn?t hurt to be very careful.
The concept of the bad apple is also explained to Sister — a perfect apple is not always good on the inside. Online, a person may say they are 10 years old, but the Bears teach that things are not always as they seem.
After Sister's lesson, she also begins to monitor Brother's behavior, telling her parents when he almost takes a ride with a stranger.
The same situation of a sister telling her parents of her brother's dealings with an online stranger can easily be imagined.
By modifying the "Stranger" book to apply to the Internet, the familiar characters of the Berenstain Bears could, yet again, convey lifesaving information to even the youngest readers.
Seeking to educate, but not frighten, youngsters will be key in dealing with the constant information bombardment kids face every day.
Despite all valiant efforts by parents, they cannot monitor their children all the time, so a firewall, blocking certain Web sites will only solve half the problem.
Empowering children to distinguish between good and bad apples online will keep them safe, even when Mama and Papa Bear aren't around.
Stan and Jan Berenstain provided many of my childhood life lessons.
Through the adventures and mishaps of Mama, Papa, Brother and Sister Bear, I learned about "Too Much Junk Food," "The Messy Room" and, my personal favorite, "The Bike Lesson."
After an Ohio teen was located in town after allegedly being lured to town via the Internet, I decided it was time for the Berenstains to pen another book, "Internet Stranger Danger."
Though the Bears' "Learn About Strangers" is early in the series, the Internet age is begging for a personal safety text geared toward the age group that is using the Internet more and more each day.
Web sites dedicated to Sponge Bob Square Pants, Blue's Clues and Bear in the Big Blue House give children a great chance to learn and play in the same format they will eventually use for research and work.
In a way, computer use to kids today is like giving kids a pencil and paper when I was growing up. They will need to know how to use a mouse, how to log on, log out and send e-mail. There is no denying the importance of computer literacy among today's Berenstain Bears age group.
The scary thing about children on the Internet is that they are often too naive to realize the stranger danger that often lurks in the most friendly looking places.
In "The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers," there is a point when Sister becomes scared of all strangers after seeing a newspaper article about missing cubs. The same park she once saw as friendly and sunny becomes scary and dark.
Mama explains that this is not necessarily the case. The park is not a bad place and not all strangers are bad either, but it doesn?t hurt to be very careful.
The concept of the bad apple is also explained to Sister — a perfect apple is not always good on the inside. Online, a person may say they are 10 years old, but the Bears teach that things are not always as they seem.
After Sister's lesson, she also begins to monitor Brother's behavior, telling her parents when he almost takes a ride with a stranger.
The same situation of a sister telling her parents of her brother's dealings with an online stranger can easily be imagined.
By modifying the "Stranger" book to apply to the Internet, the familiar characters of the Berenstain Bears could, yet again, convey lifesaving information to even the youngest readers.
Seeking to educate, but not frighten, youngsters will be key in dealing with the constant information bombardment kids face every day.
Despite all valiant efforts by parents, they cannot monitor their children all the time, so a firewall, blocking certain Web sites will only solve half the problem.
Empowering children to distinguish between good and bad apples online will keep them safe, even when Mama and Papa Bear aren't around.
