GETWITH

IT!

This booklet is abouthelping you

Parents worry about the dangers of newmedia for their children from accessingunsuitable content to being exposed to predatory adults. But the internet and the new media world, from mobiles to digitalgames, is also one of fun, learning, communications and creativity. Thisbooklet is intended to increaseawareness of all aspects of the new media world and to help parentsnavigate the often confusing maze of new media technologies and tools which their children are using. It is intended to help parents know more about theinternet and digital age so that they canbest keep their children safe – enjoyingthe wonders of the digital landscape and avoiding its downside.

For more Information Contact:

Internet Advisory Board, c/o Pinebrook House71-74 Harcourt StDublin 2

Freefone 1800 24 25 95T: + 353 1 6028661F: + 353 1 6028634E: getwithit@justice.ieW: www.iab.ie

This booklet was originally produced for the Internet Advisory Board by Athena Media. It was updated in 2007 by the SIM research centre, Dublin City University.All rights rest with the Internet Advisory Board.

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GETWITH

IT!

A parents’ guide to new media technologies

understanding and

sharing the new

media technologies

with your children

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CONTENTS

�. Introduction:theworldofnewmedia

2. Newmediatechnologies

3. Parents’questionsaboutchildsafetyandnewmediacontent

4. A-Zofnewmediatechnologyandcontent

5. Furtherhelpandinformation

-Usefulwebsites -Recommendedsoftware -Agenciesandsupports

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�. INTRODUCTON: The world of new media

This booklet is about helping you

Theworldofnewmediahascomefastuponus.Thingsseemedalotsimplertwentyyearsago.Backthentherewasjustthetelevision,theradio,thetelephoneandthestereo.Nowamobilephonetriestobeallofthosethingsatthesametime.

Yetwhilesomethingshavechanged,somethingsremainthesame.Childrenhavethesamedesire tocommunicate, tosocialise, tobeentertainedand toprotect theirprivacyasmuchas theyeverdid.Sowhenitcomestonewtechnologies,suchasthecomputer,iPodorthemobilephone,thesamerulesapply.Thediarywekeptunderthemattressasateenagerhasbeenreplacedbytextmessagesore-mailsandweneedtorespectthisprivacy.

Thisbookletgivesyouanoverviewofwhatnew technologiescando.Theyarenotsomethingtofearbut,rather,toembrace.Theyarenomoredifficult touse thanother technologieswhenyou firstgotthem,e.g.amicrowaveovenoravideorecorder.Youdidnotneedtoknowwhateverybuttondid– justwhichbuttonsyouneededtomakethingshappen.Itisthesamewiththepersonalcomputer,theinternetormobilephones.Theycanhelpyoudothingsandtheyareplayingasignificantroleinshapingyourchildren’slives–justlikethetelevisiondidinourchildhoods.

Like television in the1960s,newmedia technologiescanofferyouandyourfamilyfreshopportunitiesandexperiences.Theycanallowyoutoshopatasupermarketwithoutleavingyourhouse.Theycanallowyoutopayyourbills,checkyourbankbalanceandpurchasebooks,musicorfilms,allfromthecomfortofyourhome.Theycanteachyounewthingsatthetouchofabutton.Theycanstoreyourentiremusiccollection.Theycanplayyourfavouritefilmondemand.Theycanputyouincontactwithfamilyandfriendsanytimeoftheday

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anywhere in theworld.Computersand the internet canmake theworldasmallerplace–notascarierone–becausetheyofferpeoplearoundtheworldthechancetotalk,exchangeideasandlearn.

Yes,theycanbeusedbypeoplewhoseintentionsmaybeharmful,even criminal, but that is the same for all developments. In thecaseofnewmedia, it ismainly theexceptionrather than therule.Certainly, we worry that our children will meet the wrong kinds ofpeople online. We are concerned that they will see inappropriatecontentonline,butwecanprotect thembestbysharing theirnewmediaexperiences.

Theriskfrompaedophileshassometimesover-shadowedtheotherissuesofchildsafety.Paedophilesremainarealconcern,butwhenchildren are online they are at greater risk of becoming victims ofmarketingscamsorofrunningupdebtthroughpremiumservices.Thisguideisnotaboutmakingyou,asparents,moreafraidofyourchildren’snewmediaworld. It isheretomakeyoumoreawareofhow new media technologies work and how you can help yourchildren enjoy and explore them. While the focus of this guide istheinternet,wealsolookatdigitalmedia,fromdigitaltelevisiontomobilephones.Theguidewillhelpparentstoensuretheirchildrenuseandenjoythewondersoftechnologywisely.

By taking an interest in the technologies your children use, you can learn with them and know what they are doing online.

Themessageissimple,getinvolved,“Get With IT!”

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The opportunities of new media

Technologyhashelpedtobringtheworldclosertogether.Airplanescan transport us faster. Communication technologies can putanyone, anywhere, in touch 24 hours a day. Geography, for day-to-day business and communication, is not the obstacle it oncewas.Butthisglobalisingeffecthasalsobroughtdifficultchallenges.Someofour long-heldsocialvaluesarechangingandsometimesbreakingdown.Certaintypesofpornographythatareillegalinthiscountryhavebecomeeasiertoaccessovertheinternet.

Nowthatmediasuchasmusic,filmandgameshavebeendigitised,theycanbesentover the internetoramobilephonewith relativeease.Theynolongerneedtoexistinhardcopyonadiscoratape.New technologies have become more advanced: mobile phonesofferaccess to the internet,while ‘wireless’zonesallow laptops tohavemobileinternetaccess.Moreandmoreyoungpeopleusetheinternetasamobiletooltocommunicatewhileonthemove.

Theinternet’scontentisnotaseasytoregulateastheprogrammingofradioandtelevision.Irishtelevisionstationshavetomeetcertainstandards in broadcasting, especially with programmes aimed atchildren. The filmsyousee in IrishcinemasoronDVDhavebeenclassified as suitable for particular age groups. But it is difficult toregulate the standards of content on the internet. This is becausetheinternetisnotownedorrunbyasingleentityorgoverningbody.It is simply a collection of computers around the world that arenetworkedtogetherandmaketheircontentavailabletoeachother.Itislikeaclubthatisopentoall–allyouneedisacomputerandaninternetconnection.Thesameistrueofsatellitetelevision.Satellitescanbeamtelevisionprogrammingfromothercountriesandby-passthe regulationandstandardsof Irishbroadcasting.Anyonewithasatellitedishcanpickuptheseprogrammesandlittlecanbedonetopreventit.

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Whateverregulationsareputinplaceregardingnewmediacontent,thebestlineofcontrolrestswithparents.Youcoulddecidenottohavecomputersortoolswithinternetaccessaroundyourchildren,justassomepeopleprefertobringuptheirchildrenwithouttelevision.But,formostofus,theadvantagesofhavingtheinternetaspartofourlivesfarout-weightherisksattachedtobeingonline.

Sohowdoesaparentmakesenseofallthis?Startbytalkingtoyourchildren about how they use and enjoy new media technologies,from video games, DVDs and 3G phones to the home or schoolcomputer. Ask them questions. Find out what they know and letthemsharetheirknowledgewithyou.Talkaboutyourconcernsandletthemtellyouabouttheirexperiences.Often,childrenarethebesttechnicalsupportwehaveinthehome.Letthemguideyouthroughtheirtechnology.

The more you know, the more you can support them.

Ifyoudowanttolearnmore,localcollegesandcommunitycentresruncomputercoursesforadults.Allpubliclibrarieshavefreeinternetandcomputeraccess,andlibrariansaretrainedtohelpyouwiththem.

Talktoyourchildrenabouthowtheyusethetechnology–whetheritisamobilephone,acomputer,oragamesconsole.Yourchildrenwill enjoy the fact that they can teach you something and it is anopportunitytoshareactivitieswiththem.Don’ttaketheirwordaboutagamebeingharmless.Playitwiththemandcheckitforyourself.Sharetheexperience.

Encouragechildrento talkaboutanything in thenewmediaworldthat makes them feel uncomfortable. Talk to them without beingjudgemental.Childrenhavemoreopportunitiesthanwedidtoseeandhearthingsinthemodernmedia-saturatedworld.Bytakingthetime todiscuss these thingswith them,youcanhelp themhandlesome of the day-to-day media content they experience, whetherviolent or sexual in nature. As a parent, you will not want your

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childrentoseeanythingdisturbing.Youcanevencreaterulesandboundariestohelpthat.Butinthemodernvisualage,itisalsogoodtomakesuretheyaretalkingtoyouabouteverythingtheydoandexperienceinthemedia,whetheronlineoroffline.

Itisbettertopreparethemthantoignorethepossibilitythattheymayseeorhearpotentiallyharmfulmediacontent.

The real worry for parents is not knowing what their child isaccessingwhentheyareontheinternetorplayingvideogames.Doyouknowexactlywhattechnologiesareavailableinyourhousehold,intheinternetcafé,orinfriends’houses?Doyouknowwhatthosetechnologiesdo?Thisbookletwillhelpyoutounderstandhowtheywork,andwillhelpyoutouse,enjoy,andsometimesmonitorthem.

Therearesimplestepsyoucantake.Keepthecomputerinabusyroom in the house, not hidden away in a bedroom, so you havean ideaofhow longyourchildrenarespendingonline.Foryoungchildren, checkinge-mails iswise.Youcan lookat thecomputer’shistoryfilestocheckthesuitabilityofwebsitesandchatroomstheyhavevisited.Ifayoungchildhasamobilephone,youshouldknowwho they communicate with and how much money they spendon call credit. Certain mobile phones have a feature that allowschildrentocallonlypre-programmednumbers,e.g.homeorfamilynumbers.Also, somemobileoperatorsoffera servicecalleddualaccess–parentsareissuedwithaspecialpasswordthattheycanusetogetinformationonthecallsandtextsmadeandreceivedontheirchild’smobilephoneaccount.Checkwith therelevantmobileoperatortoseeiftheyoffersuchaservice.

Asvideogamesbecomemoreviolentandsexualincontentyoucanchecktheirsuitabilitybytheclassificationonthecover.Ifitdoesnothaveaclassification, youcancheck if thegame title is suitableatwww.pegi.info. However, this is a guide only and you should stillmonitorthegames’content.Askadvicewhenyoubuyit.Checkwithotherparentswhosechildrenhaveusedthegames.

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Most importantly, you need to set boundaries. This can be donein consultation with your children so they understand the reasonsbehind the rules. Boundaries could include when and where theinternet can be accessed and for how long. Children should be warned never to give out personal information on the internet, especially their full name and contact details.Neithershouldtheyagree tomeetanonline friend in real lifewithoutyourpermissionanddirectinvolvement.Youshoulddiscourageyoungchildrenfromclickingonretailsitesandwarnthemtoignorethescamsthatcanappearine-mailsorpop-ups.Don’tleavecreditcardslyingaround;thetemptationmaybetoomuch.Doingsocouldprovemuchmorecostly than your child taking money from a handbag or wallet forsweets. It is unlikely that a credit card company will accept anyexcusesiftheproductisdeliveredtoyourhomeaddress.

Generally, you need a credit card or a Laser card to shop online.Some companies have begun offering online payment services toteenagerswhoaretooyoungtoownacreditcard.Thesystemworkssimilartocreditonaprepaymobilephone.Theteenagerregisterswithanonlinepaymentscompany,whichissuesthemwithaspecialcustomercardandaccount.Theteenagercanthenbringthecardtoashopandbuyavoucher for theaccount,e.g.a€10voucher.Thistopsuptheaccountwithcredit,againmuchthesamewayasbuyingcreditforaprepaymobilephoneaccount.Theteenagercanuse thecredit tobuygoodsandservices fromanonlineretailer. Ifyourchildrendousesuchservices,youshouldmonitorthetypesofgoodsandservicestheyarebuyingonlineandtheamountofmoneytheyarespending.Youshouldalsobeawarethatsomecompanieschargeafeeeverytimeauserbuyscreditforanaccount.

Digitalmediaholdsmanyexcitingopportunities forchildren.But, toact safely online, children should be told about the reality of how,sometimes, things can go wrong. Ask questions and share theirtechnologyknow-how.Childrenareusedtoplayingsafeonthestreetandknowingwhathazardsarethere.Itisnotthatdifferentonline.

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In this booklet, when we discuss young children we mean age ten and under. Older children can develop more responsibility for their own media use. However, children are different so a parent’s own judgement is vital. The advice in this booklet should be taken simply as a guide.

If you do come across content on the internet that you suspect to be illegal, please report it using the confidential www.hotline.ie service.

Get involved. Share their new media world and find out how they are using the internet, the mobile phone, digital games or DVDs ... Get with IT!

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2. NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES

- Convergence

- DVD players and recorders

- The personal computer

- The internet

- The games console

- The mobile phone

- Digital television

- Other technologies

CONVERGENCEYoumayhaveheardsomepeopletalkabout‘convergence’inmediatechnology. Convergence means a ‘coming together’. As mediatechnologies become more powerful and sophisticated, they candomanyjobs.Afewyearsago,youwouldhaveneededseparatedevices to listen tomusic, takeapicture,surf the internet,watchavideoclip,andmakeaphonecall.Todayyoucanperformallofthesefunctionsfromasingledevice.That’sconvergence.Thechancesareyoumayhavesuchadevice inyourpocket rightnow. It’scalledamobilephone.

Mobile phones aren’t the only devices that are being affected byconvergence.Aportablegamesconsolecannowplaymusicandfilms.PortabledigitalmusicplayerssuchastheiPodcanplayvideoandare gaining theability to connect to your television through a

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devicecallediTV.ModernPCscanplayDVDsandmusic,connecttotheinternet,allowyoutosendtextmessagesandmakevoicecallsandevenactasatelevisionifyoubuyaspecial‘TVtuner’device.

Parents should be aware of convergence in media technologiesbecauseitaffectswhattheirchildrencandowiththem.Ifyourchildhasadigitalmusicplayer,youwillwanttoknowthatthemusictheyplayonitissuitablefortheiragegroup.Butwillyouknowtocheckthat thevideocontent issuitableaswell?Similarly,mobilephonescan take and store photographs that mightn’t be appropriate foryoung children. Children can access instant messaging servicesthrough their mobile phones, which can make it more difficult forparentstomonitorwithwhomtheycommunicate.

As you read through this booklet, you should remember that theboundariesbetweenmediadevicesarebreakingdown.Adevice’smainfunctionmaybetoplaymusic;butifyoudon’tknowthatitcanalsostoreandplayvideo,youwon’tbe inaposition tocheck thatyourchildrenareusingthisfunctioninasafeandsuitableway.

Educateyourselfaboutyourchildren’smediatechnologies.Findoutwhatexactlythetechnologiesdoandhowyourchildrenareusingthem.

DVD PLAYERS and RECORDERSThevideorecorderisacommondeviceinthehome.Althoughtheyare considered analogue or old technology nowadays, they wereone of the first media technologies that people found difficult tomaster.Theaveragevideorecorderhasmanyfunctionsbeyondplay,rewind,forwardandrecord.Throughtheremotecontrol,userscansetthetimeandpre-recordprogrammesoftheirchoice.Formany,this is where the difficulties start. How many of us still have thoseflashingzeroesonourvideorecorder?Howmanyofushavelefttheinstructionmanualintheboxwherewefoundit?DVDplayershaveemergedtoreplacevideorecorders,butsimilarproblemsremain.

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ADVDplayeristhedigitalequivalentofthevideoplayingfunctionofyourvideorecorder. Insteadof tape, thefilm is “digitally” recordedontoaDigital Versatile Disc (orDVD).Thewordversatile– the“V”inDVD–givesyouaclueastowhatmakesDVDssodifferentfromvideo tapes. DVDs are “versatile”. As well as being able to play afilm,youcanpauseitwithoutashakeorjitter.Youcanselectscenesimmediately without having to forward or rewind. You can watchDVDextrasandseeout-takes,deletedscenes,alternativeendings,listentovoice-overcommentariesorwatchdocumentariesaboutthefilm;allofthisfromonesmall,shinydisc.

Some DVD players are also recorders. Likeavideorecorder,theyallow you to record television programmes or home videos ontoblank DVDs. Some DVD recorders have another recording devicecalled a hard drive. This is located inside the DVD recorder andcannotbetakenout.Yourecordprogrammesdirectlyontotheharddrive,watchthemwhenyouareready,anddeletethemwhenyouare finished. Deleting old programmes frees up space to recordotherprogrammes.Theharddrivehasamemory,inthesamewaythat a computer hard drive has memory. The size of the memorylimitsthehoursofprogrammingyoucanrecord,e.g.an80gigharddrivecouldletyourecord125hoursofprogramming.Theharddriveisare-usablerecordingdevice.Youcanrecord,watch,anddeleteprogrammesasoftenasyoulike.Youdon’thavetobuyanythingelsetokeeprecording.Itisnotlikethevideorecorder,whereyouneededasteadysupplyofblankcassettes.Withaharddrive,theonlylimitonrecordingisthesizeofthememory,e.g.youcannotrecordmorethan 125hoursofprogramming.Ofcourse, if you reach that limit,yousimplydeleteprogrammesyounolongerwantandyou’llhavespacetorecordagain.

Blu-ray and HD DVDThe VHS video cassette was a format used mainly to play filmsandtelevisionprogrammesinthehome.Inthelate1990s,theDVDemerged as a format to replace VHS. Now, two new formats areemergingwiththepotentialtoreplaceDVD.TheyarecalledBlu-rayandHDDVD(Hi-DefinitionDVD).

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Blu-rayandHDDVDareseparateformatsandtheyareengagedinaformatwar.ThismeanstheyarevyingwitheachothertoreplaceDVDandbecomethestandardformatforwatchingfilmsathome.Theyworkmoreor less thesamewayasaDVD. Theystorefilmsondiscs.Thediscisinsertedintoaplayerandthefilmisviewedona television. The main difference from DVD is that they hold moreinformationoneachdisc.ThisallowsBlu-rayandHDDVDtoproduceasharperpicturethananormalDVDandtoholdmorecontent,e.g.filmextrasandcommentaries.

TherivalrybetweenBlu-rayandHDDVDechoesa famous formatwar from the late1970s,betweenBetamaxandVHS.Bothwereatypeofvideocassette,butyoucouldn’tplayaBetamaxcassetteinaVHSmachine,andviceversa.VHSwontheformatwaranditsvideocassettesbecamethestandardwaytowatchfilmsathomeuntiltheDVDcamealong.

TherewasnoformatwararoundDVD,becausethebigtechnologycompanies agreed a single format and the Hollywood studiosagreedtoreleasefilmsonit.

However, no agreement was reached for the next generation ofDVD,whichiswhywehaveaformatwarbetweenBlu-rayandHDDVD.Botharenewtechnologies to themarket,so there isnowayyet totellwhichformatwillwin.Butbeawarethat theformatsareincompatible.ManypeoplesawtheirBetamaxmachinesandtapesbecomeobsoletewhenVHSwonthevideoformatwar.Somethingsimilar could happen with the new generation of Blu-ray and HDDVD,althoughacompanycalledLGhasdevelopedamachinethatwillplaybothtypesofdisc.

Ofcourse,youdon’thavetobuyeitheroftheseformatsatthisearlystageoftheirdevelopment.YourDVDswillcontinuetoworkforyears,justasyouroldvideocassettesdid.

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But if youdogowithoneof thenew formats, youwillneedaHi-Definition television to appreciate the improvement in picturequality. Hi-Definition televisions work in a similar way to standardoranaloguetelevisions.Thekeydifferenceistheyproducesharperpictures because they can fit more detail into the images on thescreen(theyhaveahigherresolution).

THE PERSONAL COMPUTERThe personal computer (or PC) is of great educational benefit to you and your child. It can help with homework. It can offer a world of knowledge through educational CD-ROMs and the internet. It can let you keep in touch with friends and family abroad. It can help young children with their literacy and numeracy.

Forolderchildren,itcandeveloptheirinterestsinarangeofsubjects,from music to sport, astronomy to marine life. It can keep themoccupiedandentertainedplayinggamesorwritingstories.

ThePCcanbeusedforbothbusinessandentertainment. Insomeways, the PC is like a television, a games console, a jukebox, apersonalorganiser,alibraryandafilingcabinetallrolledintoone.Thisiswhatmakesitsoexcitingandsobaffling.

PCsarealsobecomingmuchsmallerandportable.AportablePCiscalledalaptop.TherearealsopocketPCs,whichareaboutthesizeofalargemobilephoneandareusedmainlybybusinesspeople.

MostPCs(equippedwithspeakers)canplaymusicCDs,storemusicdigitally, play video games and DVDs. They can also connect tothe internetanddownloadandplaydigitalmusic, filmsandshortcartoons.E-mailandinstant messagingservicescangiveyourchildaccesstootherchildrenandofferthemthechancetohaveapen-palanywhereintheworld. Inshort, itoffersthemexperiencesthatwecouldonlyhavedreamedofinourchildhood.

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Butasaparent,evenwithoutaninternetconnection,youneedtobeawarethatinappropriatecontent,filmandmusiccanalsobeusedonthecomputer.Youneedtobeinvolvedinwhatyourchildrenarewatching,listeningtoorplaying.

THE INTERNETThe internet isacollectionofcomputersspreadovertheworldandconnectedtoeachothertoexchangeinformation.Itisnotunlikethetelephone network, but it can do a lot more than just voice calls. Itcomes from the combination of the words “International” and“Network”.Whenyourchildgoes“online”,theyareconnectingtotheinternet.AlthoughtheWorldWideWebis,strictly-speaking,justapartoftheinternet,theterms“web”,“internet”and“Net”areoftenusedtodescribethesamething. Inreality, theweb isavastandconstantlyexpandingcollectionofwebsitesontheinternet.Itcontainsknowledgeandinformationspanningeverypossiblethemeorsubject.

Online:whenyouareconnectedtoanetwork,usuallytheinternet.

Somecomputersconnectedtotheinternetcontain(orhost)websiteswithinformationaboutaparticularsubject.AwebsiteisasiteontheWorldWideWebthatholdsinformation.Forexample,thewebsitefortheInternetAdvisoryBoardiswww.iab.ie.Thisisitsweb address.BytypingthewebaddressintoyourPC,youwillbebroughtimmediatelytotheInternetAdvisoryBoard’swebsite.

Confused?Perhapsthinkofitthisway.Ifyoucanimagineagroupofhousesinavillagewhereallthefrontdoorsarelinkedtogetherbyastring,thatstringwouldforma“web”aroundthevillageof“connected”houses.IfMr.O’BrieninNumber10knewsomethingthatyouwantedtofindout, you would follow the string to his address. Likewise, the Webconsistsofa“webofsites”(orwebsites)thatareconnectedtogetherbyastringcalledtheinternet.Bytypinginacertainaddress,youarebroughttothewebsitethatlivesatthataddressandyoucanviewtheinformationavailableonthatwebsite.

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Surfing the NetYoumayhaveheardthephrase“surfing the Net”. “Surfing” is theterm used when you look at or “browse” various websites on theNet. Literally, you are surfing over a tide of information. The mainprogramforexploringtheWebthroughapersonalcomputeristhe“browser”.Themostpopular “browser”usedonPCsisMicrosoft’s Internet Explorer.

However,thereareother“browsers”,suchasSafariforAppleMacs,the Opera web-browser, and Mozilla’s Firefox. It is in a “browser”thatyoutypetheaddressof thewebsiteyouwant tovisit.Websiteaddresses you may have heard of are the Irish government’sInformation on Public Services website (www.citizensinformation.ie),theAerLinguswebsite(www.aerlingus.com),orthegovernmentwebsite(www.irlgov.ie).

BroadbandBroadband is a high-speed internet connection that allows youto connect to the internet and to stay online all the time. With abroadband connection you can stream (watch) videos, downloadmusicor largeemailfiles,sendinstantmessages,andplayonlinegames.Broadbandopensupawholerangeofactivitiesthatwouldbedifficultorimpossibleoveraslowinternetconnection.

Before broadband became available in Ireland a few years ago,most internet connections were known as ‘dial-up’. The computerusedadevicecalledamodemto‘dial’telephonelinesandconnecttotheinternet.Onlyasmallamountofinformationcouldbecarriedata time.Youweregenerallycharged for theamountof timeyouspentonline.

Broadbandcarriesinformationacrossdifferenttechnologies,suchasDigitalSubscriberLines (DSL),fibre,wirelessorsatellite.Broadbandcarries more information faster and so allows you to do moresophisticatedthingsonline.Unlikedial-up,youareusuallychargedaflat-fee forbroadbandaccess. If yourbroadbandsubscription is

€30amonth,youpaythatamountregardlessofhowmuchorhowlittletimeyouspendonline.

Broadband is available in most urban areas in Ireland, althoughit can still be difficult to get in rural areas. For information on thebroadband services available in your area, you can check www.broadband.gov.ie.

Search-enginesA common method of surfing the internet is to use search-engines.Among the more popular search-engines are Google (www.google.com) and Yahoo (www.yahoo.com). Both have child-friendly searchenginesthatcanfilteroutadultorientatedcontent.Theseenginesarelikeaphonebookofwebaddresses.Ifyouarelookingforcertaininformation–forexample,dinosaursorarecipe forchickensoup–youjusttypethesewordsintothesearch-engine,clicksearch,anditwillsearchouttheWebaddressesontheNetthatmayhavetheinformationyouarelooking for. These will come up as a list of websites containing thewordsyousearched for. In theParents’ questionssection,wedealwithprecautionsthatyoucantaketoprotectyourchildfromcomingacrossinappropriatematerial.TheUseful websitessectionhasalistofchild-friendlysearch-engines.

E-mailOneofthemostpopularusesoftheinternetise-mail.E-mailstandsfor Electronic Mail and is a way of sending messages from onecomputer to another over the internet. Messages are composedinspeciale-mailprograms(suchasMicrosoft’sOutlookExpressorApple’s Mail) or on websites such as www.hotmail.com. To sendane-mail,youwillneedaspeciale-mailaddress,suchaspaul@ireland.comorpaul@eircom.net.

Theeasiesttypesofe-mailaddressestoobtainarewebmail.Whenyousignuptothesewebsites,theywillgiveyouane-mailaddresssuch as johnsmith@gmail.com. The @ symbol stands for “at” – itmeans johnsmith at the gmail.com address. Once you have anemail address, you are ready to send and receive e-mail. Check

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andcomparecostsandmailboxstorageone-mailaccountsbeforesigningup forone.Aboveall,makesureyouhaveviruscheckingsoftware on your computer and your e-mail account. See alsosegmentonvirusesandspyware.

Web 2.0Web2.0isthetermbeingusedtodescribeanewwaveofinternetapplications.TheemphasisofWeb2.0isonpeoplecommunicatingwitheachotheronlineandcreating theirowncontent. In theearlyyearsoftheinternet,mostpeopleuseditastheydidthetraditionalmass media of television, newspapers and books: they would gotoawebsiteandsimplyviewwhatsomeoneelsehadcreated.Themainwaypeopleinteractedonlinewasthroughe-mail.

Viewing websites and sending e-mails remain important parts ofinternet activity, but the newer Web 2.0 applications put the useronthecentrestage.Iftheusersarenotcommunicatingorcreatingcontent, there is nothing to do or see. This can be seen from thetwomainactivitiestoemergefromWeb2.0:social-networkinganduser-generated content.

Social-networking websites encourage communication among acommunityofusersonline.Peopleregisterwithasocial-networkingwebsite and add profiles of themselves. The profile gives detailson theirage,gender, education, job, and hobbies. Users canpostphotographsandvideosandkeepblogs(likeanonlinediary)togiveaflavourofwhotheyareasaperson.Theythenbegintocommunicatewithotherpeopleinthesocial-networkingcommunity.Profilescanbemadepublic,sotheycanbeseenbyanyonewhousesthewebsite.Ortheycanbekeptprivate,soonlyinvitedfriendscanseetheprofile.Twoof themostpopularsocial-networkingwebsitesareBeboandMySpace,especiallyamongyoungerpeople.Otherwebsites,suchasPlaxo,aregearedtowardssocial-networkingamongadults.

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User-generated content websites are where users create andpublish content online so other people can see it and makecomments. On traditional websites, e.g. Ireland.com, mediaprofessionals create the majority of the content. You can read thecontent,butyouhavelittleabilitytochangeitoraddmaterialofyourown. On user-generated content websites, such as YouTube, thecommunityofuserscreate thecontent. Youor your childrencouldmakeavideoandpostitonYouTube.Thenotherpeoplecouldviewitandmakecomments.

Suchwebsitesaremadepossiblebecausethetechnologytocreatecontenthasbecomecheapandaccessible,e.g.digitalcamcordersand camera phones. A few years ago, only media professionalswould have had access to the technology to make a high-qualityvideo. Today, such technologies are available to the public atrelativelylowcost.

Social-networkinganduser-generatedcontentwebsitesarepopularamongchildrenandteenagers.Forthemostpart,theyareafunwayforyoungpeopletobecreativeonlineandtocommunicatewiththeirfriends.Butparentsshouldbeawareof therisksattached tosuchwebsites.

Social-networking websites, like chatrooms, have attracted onlinepredators – grown-ups who try to make contact with children,oftenbypretendingtobechildrenthemselves(Seemessagingandchatroomsbelow).Ifyourchildhasaprofileonasocial-networkingwebsite,youshouldcheckhowmuchpersonalinformationtheyhaveputonline.Youshouldalsofindoutwithwhomtheycommunicateonline. As a general rule, children should be discouraged fromgivingoutpersonalinformationonline.Theyshouldalsotalktoyouimmediately if a stranger online tries to communicate with them,especially if the strangertries to meet up with them in real life.

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Ifyourchildusesauser-generatedcontentwebsiteyoushouldlookatthekindsofcontentthattheypublishonit.Theycould,forexample,be breaking copyright law if they take a clip from a televisionprogramme and post it online. With camera phones and digitalcamcorders, yourchildcouldbemakingvideosandposting themonline.Checkthattheyareappropriate.

Reputablesocial-networkinganduser-generatedcontentwebsiteswill try to stop young children from registering as members. Thiscould mean that you have to be 13 years or older to register. Butregistrationsystemsarenotfool-proof.Therehavebeenmanycaseswhereyoungerchildrenhavebeenabletoregisterasusers.While most websites will try to eliminate users who are too young or who post inappropriate content, you should not depend on this to keep your children safe.Knowwhattheyaredoingonline.Ifayoungchildwantstousesuchawebsite,getthemtoexplainwhy.Ifyouallowthemtoregister,checktheironlineactivityregularly.

Instant Messaging and ChatroomsBecause the internet connects PCs, it allows people to “chat” byusingprogramssuchasYahooMessengerandMicrosoft’s InstantMessenger.ItissimilartotextingexceptitisdoneonthePCandthetext conversation can be followed on the screen. These programsofferacheapformofcommunicationforpeople–especiallyyoungpeople.

Therearealsocertainwebsitesthathavechatroomforums.Theseallowpeopleto“postup”messagesandconversewitheachother.Theseforumsareoftendedicatedtocertaintopicsorthemes,suchas “movies” or “soap operas”. Conversations are called “threads”.Whenaconversationor“thread”becomespersonallyabusive, it iscalled“flaming”.

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Do’s and don’ts of chatrooms for children:Never reveal name, address, phone number or password. Never reply to nasty or suggestive messages. Never meet anyone offline without your parents being with you.

Chatrooms have also become the mainstay for “internet dating”,where individualsmakecontactonlineandmaydecidetomeet inreallife.Youngchildrenshouldbediscouragedfromusingchatroomswithoutdirectparentalsupervision.Arealdangerinrecenttimeshasbeen the threat of paedophiles/sex-offenders luring children to areallifemeeting.

BloggingTheterm“Blog”comesfromacombinationofthewordsWebandLog.Theyarebasicallyonlinediariesandtheactofmaintainingoneiscalled“blogging”.Certainwebsitesallowyoutosetupablogforfree.Whywouldanyonesetoneup?Manynewspaper journalistshave their own blogs to get their articles into the public domainimmediatelyandgetfeedbackfrommembersofthepublic.Youngchildren,underten,shouldnotbeencouragedtokeepblogs.Olderchildrenshouldworkwithyou if theymaintainablog.Talk toyourchildren about the pros and cons if they decide to keep one. Thesame considerations should apply if your children also decide todesignandmaintaintheirownpersonalwebsites.Themoreinvolvedyou are the better, but give them space to learn, be creative anddiscover.Astheygrowuprespecttheirprivacy.

Peer-to-PeerAnother popular use of the internet is called “peer-to-peer” fileswapping. Theseprogramsallowyou to swapor sharefiles fromyourowncomputertoanotherovertheinternet.Therearealsosomecommercialpeer-to-peerapplicationsthatallowuserstobuymusicandvideocontentovertheinternet.In2000,ahigh-profilecasewasbrought against Napster, a free peer-to-peer program provider intheUS,because itsmanyusersweredownloadingmusic illegally.

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The court ruling shut down Napster, but it later re-emerged as alegal music file-swapping site. However, many more peer-to-peerprogram vendors have sprung up since. Recently, video files areincreasinglybeingswapped(includingfilesofwholefilms).

Asaparent,youshouldexplaintoyourchildthattheyarebreakingthelawiftheyusepeer-to-peerprogramstodownloadcopyrightedworkssuchasmusicorfilms.Makethemawareoftherisks.

Viruses and spywareVirusesaremaliciouspiecesofsoftwarethatcanstopyourcomputerworkingproperlyormaydelete informationoff it.Manycomputersareinfectedwithvirusesfromotherpeople’sdisksormemorysticks,or when users open the attachments of spam emails (unwantedemails,thedigitalequivalentofjunkthroughthepost).Virusescanbedownloadedontocomputerswhenusersvisitcertainwebsites,e.g.pornographywebsites.Youshouldprotectyourfamilycomputerwithanti-virussoftwareandmakesureyoursubscriptiontoitiskeptuptodate.Someexamplesofanti-virussoftwareareNortonAntivirus,McAfee,andBitDefender.

Computerscanalsobeinfectedwithspyware,whichwilltrytocollectpersonal informationfromyourcomputerwithoutyourpermission.Some spyware (or adware, in this case) can use the personalinformationtotargetadvertisementsatyourcomputer.Thiscanbeannoyinganddisrupt thenormalworkingof yourcomputer.Moreseriousformsofspywarecantrytocollectfinancialinformationfromyourcomputerandsendittosomeoneelse’smachine.

Spyware often presents itself as a useful piece of software – e.g.a program to make web-browsing faster – to trick people intodownloadingit.Asageneralruleforinternetuse,youshouldneverdownloadanyprogramorcontentunlessyouaresureitcomesfromareliablesource.

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Someanti-spywareprogramsareavailable for freeon the internetand they work well. But be careful when downloading any suchprogram.Someofthemarefake:insteadofprotectingyourcomputerthey will actually infect it with spyware. Your first step should be tocheckifyouranti-virussoftwarealsohasfeaturestoprotectagainstspyware.

PhishingPhishing is an online fraud that tries to trick people into giving outtheirfinancialinformation.Itusuallyworksasfollows:youwillreceivean email that pretends to be from your bank or another financialinstitution.Theemailwillaskyou toverify informationsuchasyourbankaccountnumber,accesscode,orPINnumber. Theemailwilloftensaythatifyoudonotsupplytheinformationyouraccountwillbeclosedorfrozenafteracertaindate.

People who have replied to phishing emails with their financialinformationhavelostthousandsofeurofromtheirbankaccounts,orhadmoneychargedtotheircreditcards.

Asageneralrule,banksandreputablefinancialinstitutionswillnevercontact youbyemailorphoneandask you to verify your financialinformation.Ifyoureceivesuchanemail,ringyourbankorfinancialinstitution.

Internet cafésAn internet café is a public place where you can use a computerwith internetaccess forasmall fee,e.g. €1perhour. It isacheapwayofgainingcomputerandinternetaccessforpeoplewhodonothavethemathome,orforpeoplewhowanttousetheinternetwhiletravelling. Internetcafésarealsopopularamongpeoplewhowanttoplay ‘networked’or ‘online’games.Anetworkedgame iswherepeoplesittingatdifferentcomputersinthesameroomorbuildingplayagainsteachotheracrossaprivatenetwork(LocalAreaNetwork,orLAN).Onlinegamesarewherepeopleplayagainsteachotheracrosstheinternet.

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Internetcafésareausefulwayof lettingyourchildrensurf theNetif theycannotdosoathome.But thereareanumberof things tobear in mind. First, internet cafés are public places and are mostcommonly used by adults. Your children should stick to the samesafetyrulesthattheywouldinotherpublicplaces.

Becauseadultsroutinelyuseinternetcafés,thecomputerstheremaynotbesettoblockcontentthatwouldbeinappropriateforchildren.Also, thenetworkedgamesofferedatsome internetcaféscanbeviolent and inappropriate for children. You should check with anassistantattheinternetcafétofindoutiftherearerulesforcomputerusebychildren.

THE GAMES CONSOLEVideogames consoles are hugely popular in Ireland. The currentgeneration of consoles include the Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft’sXbox360andNintendo’sWii.Theseconsolesallowyoutodomanythings, such as watch films, listen to music, and connect to theinternet.But theirmain job is to letyouplaygames.ThesegamescanbeboughtondiscsthatlooklikeaCDoraDVD.Newtitlescancostanythingupto €75.Titlesrangefromsportinggamessuchasfootball,golforgrandprixracingtomoreviolent,action-orientatedgames.Playerscontroltheactiononthescreenthroughacontroller–ahandhelddevicewithbuttons.Onolderconsoles,suchas thePlayStation2,thecontrollerwasconnectedtotheconsolebyawire.The latestconsoleshavewirelessconnections,whichmeansthereisnophysicalwire running from thecontroller to theconsole. Thecontrollerallowstheplayertomanoeuvretheircharacterorvehicleonscreen.Twocontrollersallowtwoplayerstoplayatthesametime.Otherattachmentsarealsoavailableforgamesconsoles,suchastoyguns,dancemats,headsetsandcameras.

Unlike a personal computer (which has its own special televisioncalleda“monitor”),consolesarepluggedintoatelevision.Thenewgenerationofconsolesaredesignedtoworkbestwithhi-definitiontelevisions,thoughtheywillstillworkfineonanormaltelevision.

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Games can be an addictive distraction. This can frustrate someparentswhomayworrythattheirchildisspendingfartoomuchtimeonthem.Gamesconsolesalsohavea loyal following in the18-35yearoldmarket–agenerationwhohavegrownupwithcomputerandvideogames.

Thenewerconsolesencourageplayers togoonline.This iscalled“onlinegaming”.Itallowspeopletoplayeachotherovertheinternetthrough a broadband connection. This means that they can playafriendlivingdowntheroadoreveninanothercountryover theirgamesconsole. If theywearaheadset, theycan talkand listen toeachotherwhile theyplay.This isanew, funandexciting formofentertainment.IthasbecomeextremelypopularinAsiancountries.Itislikelytobecomeincreasinglypopularhereasmorehomesgetbroadbandconnections.

Parents should note that players can buy content when they goonline through theirconsole.Thiscontentcouldbenewgamesorextralevelsorcharactersforgamestheyboughtonadiscinashop.Youshouldmonitortheamountofmoneyyourchildrenspendonline.Makesurethecontentandgamestheybuyaresuitablefortheiragegroup.

Handheld games consoles are also popular among children.Nintendo makes a number of handheld consoles, including theGameboy,GameboyAdvanceandDS.Sonyoffersthemostpowerfulhandheld console, called the PSP (PlayStation Portable). Handheldconsolesallowyou toplaygameson themove.Gamescomeonsmallcartridgesordiscsandcancostupto €55each.Ashandheldconsoles have become more powerful, the games available forthemhavebecomemoreviolentandmature.Playthegameswithyourchildrentomakesuretheyaresuitable.

However, the main threat to your child from video games is theiraddictive nature.Childrenshouldbeencouraged to limit the timethey spend playing video games to maintain a balanced healthy

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lifestyle.Obesityandotherhealthproblemsareariskifyourchildisnotgainingenoughexercise.Asaparent,youshouldsetboundarieswithyourchildaboutthelengthoftimespentplayingvideogames.Chatwith themaboutwhy it’sgood tohaveabalancebetweenalltheiractivities,whetherswimmingorfootballandvideogames.

SeetheParents’ questionssectionifyouwanttoknowmoreaboutviolentgames.

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THE MOBILE PHONELikethevideorecorder,themobilephonestartedoffas“analogue”or old technology. You may remember the size of the first mobilephones.Theywerebig,clunky,brick-likeobjectsthatrarelycouldgetasignal.

Modern mobilephonesare smaller, reliable,andallowyou todomany other things besides make calls. They are hugely popularamongadultsandteenagersalike,tothepointwherethereareasmanymobilephonesastherearepeopleinIreland.

Mobilephoneuseisgrowingamongchildren,whoarebeginningtogethandsetsatyoungerandyoungerages.Childrenundertenhavebecomemobilephoneusers.Usedproperly,amobilephonecanbeagoodsecuritydeviceforachild.Youcancontactyourchildreninahurry(orsimplytoarrangeroutinefamilyactivities),andyourchildrencancontactyou.

Butifyoudoallowayoungchildtouseamobilephone,thereareanumberofthingstoconsider.Safetyisfirstamongthem.Amobilephone is a powerful communications device. Because it is smallandportable,itcanbedifficulttomonitorhowyourchildrenuseit:

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mostimportantly, toknowwhotheycallandtext.Asaparent,youdecidehowmuchprivacyyourchildrenshouldhave.Butcertainlyforchildrenunderten,itisunwisetogivethemfreeandunrestricteduseofamobilephone.Somemobilephoneshaveafeaturethatallowchildrentocallonlypre-programmednumbers,e.g.homeorfamilynumbers.

Newmobilephonesarecapableofmorethanjusttalkandtext.Theycanletyousurftheinternet,playmusicandgames,andwatchvideoclips.Learnexactlywhatyourchild’smobilephoneiscapableof.Aswithanymediatechnology,knowledgeispower.Themoreyouknowaboutthedevice,thesaferyoucanmakeyourchild’sexperienceofusingit.

TextingTexting has become one of the most popular features of the mobilephone.ThetechnicaltermfortextingisShort Messaging Service (SMS).Abovethenumbersonthephonearelettersofthealphabet.Theseallowyoutotypea“text”messageandsendit,insteadofringingtheperson.The“message”willthenappearontheirphonedisplayforthemtoread.

Texting has become an alternative form of communication amongchildren and adults. It has even developed its own language. Thislanguage developed due to the length of time it took to write a textmessage.Also,thespaceinatextmessageislimitedto160characters(or letters), so text language was a handy way to make messagesshorter.Childrenbegantoabbreviatetheirmessagesasfollows:“RUIN2DAY?”(“Areyouintoday?”),“TXTMEL8R”(“Textmelater.”),“CU2NITE”(“Seeyoutonight?”),and“10sne1?”(“Tennisanyone?”).

However,mostphonesnowhave“predictive text”.Thisisaprogramthatguessesthewordyouaretryingtotype.Itmakestextmessageseasier and quicker to write, although abbreviations are still usedwidely.Aswellastextingonyourphone,youcanplaygames,carrypersonaldetails, takedigitalphotographs, recordsmallvideos,andplaymusic.

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Text abbreviations: :)=Happyface:D=Superhappyface:(=Sadface;)=Wink:/=Wryface:P=Tongueoutforjustkidding((hug))=Ahug<g>=GrinALLCAPS=Yelling4VR=ForeverYER=Your,you’reB4=BeforeCUZ=BecauseLOL=LaughingoutloudB4N=ByefornowBCNU=Beseeingyou

RingtonesOne particularly popular pastime for children and teens isdownloading“ringtones”.Everyphonehasanumberofpre-recordedringtonestoletyouknowthatsomeoneiscalling.However,userscandownloaddifferentringtonesbyringingortextingcertainnumberson their phone. These ringtone numbers are usually advertised innewspapers and magazines and, increasingly, on television. Aringtonecancost€2to€3,butsomearemoreexpensive.Ifyouareona“bill-pay”phone,thepricewillbedebitedfromyourbill.“PayasyouGo”phonesautomaticallydebitthepriceoftheringtonefromthecallcreditwhichhasbeenloadedontothephone.

Ringtones have become big business. In the United Kingdom,ringtonesbasedonpopularsongshaveactuallyoutstrippedmusicchart sales. As a parent, you need to be conscious of how muchyour child is spending on these premium services. A premium

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service (e.g. buying ringtones or subscribing to a text “joke of theday”)chargesmorethananormalphonecall.Theyaremuchlikethepremiumnumbersonyourlandline,suchasWeatherDialor11811.Childrencaneasilyrackupdebtusingthesetypeofservices.

Picture and video-messagingAs mobiles become increasingly sophisticated, more premiumservices will be offered. Many phones have the capability to takeandsenddigitalpictures.Themobilephoneoperatorschargemorefor these kinds of services because there is more “data” to sendthaninanormaltextmessage.Mobilephoneoperatorschargeforeitherthelengthofacall,theamountof“data”usedinthecall,oracombinationofboth.Picturesandvideocontainmoredata;hencethey charge more. Many children download their pictures andphotographstotheirpersonalcomputerandsendthembye-mail.Be aware that video mobile phones have been linked with somenegatives, including school bullying, harassment and intimidation.WediscusssomeoftheseissuesinParents’ questions.

GamingAnother premium service is downloading games. Mobile gamescostanythingbetween€3and€6.Theyareusuallysimpleincontentandaresimilartotheearlyarcadegames.Whiletheyaregenerallyharmless,downloadingalotofthemcanbeexpensive.

What is 3G?3G is the generic name for the next generation of mobile phonenetworks.Thesenetworksareabletodealwithalotmoredata.Thismeansthatthemobilephonecansendandreceiveinformationonasimilarscaletotheinternet.However,theoperatorsdochargemore.Atpresent,mostphonescanonly“surftheNet”inalimitedway.3Gmakes it much easier to surf the Net, view videos, and send andreceivelargee-mails.Vodafoneand3offer3Gservicesin Ireland,and02willbegintoofferaservicesoon.Ascompetitiondevelops,morepeoplearelikelytoswitchtheirmobilephoneserviceto3G.Assuch,itwillbesomethingyourchildrenwillwanttouse(thoughsome

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mayalreadyhave3Gphones).Thelikelihoodthenisthatyourchildwill have constant access to the internet. Although mobile phoneoperatorsmayhavefilteringprograms toprotectyoungerchildrenfromunsuitablecontent,therearenoguaranteesthatthesewillbe100% successful. Also, there are no filters to stop your child fromrunning up high credit costs. Therefore, you should monitor yourchildren’s use of the internet on 3G. Awareness and information are again the best protection.

WirelessWireless was the old term for a radio receiver. Now it means a lotmore.Simplyspeaking,itallowsinformationtobetransmitted“withoutwires”.AwirelessconnectionmeansthatcertainlaptopsorPCscanconnecttotheinternetwithoutpluggingintothewall.Theypickupthesignal throughtheairoveraradiofrequency. In thefuture it is likelythatalldeviceswillbeabletoconnecttoeachother“withoutwires”.Whywouldtheywanttobeabletodothat?Well,acarwithawirelessconnectionwouldbeabletogettrafficinformationorroutemaps.Anovencouldbeswitchedonandoffremotelywhileyouareatwork.

There are a variety of technologies that allow devices connect toeachother.Twoofthemainonesareinfra-redandBluetooth.Infra-redneeds“lineofsight”.Forexample,itisaninfra-redsignalthatisusedinaTVremotecontrol.Bluetoothisamorepowerfulmeansofwirelessconnection.ItcandetectanotherdevicewithBluetoothwithinrangeandcanconnecttoitautomatically.PhoneswithBluetoothcanswappicturesandotherinformationwithoutpayingforthecall.

AnothermeansofconnectingtotheinternetthroughwirelessisWi-Fi.LaptopscommonlyconnecttotheinternetusingWi-Fi,e.g.throughaWirelessLocalAreaNetwork(WLAN).

Adangerwithwirelesstechnologiesisthat,ifthepropersecurityisnotinplace,theycanbe“hijacked”.Therehasbeenarecentphenomenoncalled “blue-jacking”wheresomeonesteals information fromyourphoneorsendsoffensivemessagesandpictureswhentheydetect

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yourBluetoothconnection.ChildrenshouldbeencouragedtoswitchoffBluetoothunlesstheyareusingitforaspecificreason.IfyouhaveawirelessinternetconnectionathomeforyourlaptoporPocketPC,youshouldensurethatthepropersecurityisinplacetoprotectyourwirelessconnectionfrombeingusedbyothersinthevicinity.

DIGITAL TELEVISIONWith a population in Ireland of more than 4 million people andgrowing,therearenearly1.4milliontelevisionhouseholds.Inmanyhomestherearetwoormoretelevisions.Weallknowthetelevisionaerial,fromtheold“rabbitears”ontopofthetelevisiontothelargeaerialontheroof.Thisisanaloguetelevision.Itpicksupthetelevisionsignalthroughtheaerial,allowingtheviewertowatchthreeorfourlocalIrishchannels.

Those with cable television – where the aerial was replaced by acable plugged into the wall – can receive more channels. Thisservicewascompletelyanalogueuntila fewyearsago,when thecable operators started introducing digital services. The two bigcableoperatorsinIreland,NTLandChorus,offercustomersachoiceof either the old analogue or the new digital service. Over time,everyonewillmovetodigital.

Digital television is a recent phenomenon. Like the mobile phone,it means that the analogue signal has been replaced by a digitalone.Thisgivesmoreversatility.Inthecaseoftelevision,itgivesmorechannelsbecausemore“data”canbeputintothesignalwhenitis“digital” thanwhen it isanalogue.Thereareanumberofdifferenttypesofdigitaltelevisionavailableinthiscountry–butthetwomaintypesarecableandsatellite.Themainprovidersofdigitaltelevisionin IrelandareNTL,BSkyBSatellite,andChorus,although thereareothersmallerplayersemerging.

Set-Top BoxIfyouhavedigitaltelevisionthereisprobablyaset-topboxattachedtoyourtelevision.Thisisaboxthatreadsthedigitalsignalandputsit

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ontoyourtelevisionscreen.Theset-topboxhasbecomeincreasinglyimportantasdigitaltelevisiondevelops.Itdoesalotmorethanjustdecodethedigitaltelevisionsignal.

Usingyourremotecontrol,youcanlookataprogramme guideonthe televisionandseewhatprogrammesarecomingup.Youcanalsosetremindersforyourfavouriteprogrammeorfilm.

IfyouhaveaSkyDigitalset-topbox,youmaybe familiarwith the“red button”. Often television programmes will encourage youto “press the redbuttonnow!”.Whenyoupress the redbuttononyourremotecontrol,youcaninteractwiththetelevisionprogramme–findingoutmoreinformation,watchingalternativecameraangles,or voting. You may even be able to record many hours of yourfavouriteprogrammingorsurftheinternet.Digitaltelevisionisrapidlybecominganexcitingwindowontheworld.

With the number of channels available – especially on satellite– there isagreater chanceof your child comingacross violentorobsceneprogrammecontent. Mostdigital set-top boxes offer youa functionwhereby you can “lock” certain inappropriate channels.However,asitispossiblethatyourchildrenwillknowhowtounlockthesechannels, it iswisetotalkwiththemabouttheseissuesandset boundaries as to what he/she can and can not watch. Thinkit out before you agree to very young children having a digitaltelevisionandDVDplayerintheirownbedrooms.Evenwithlockedout channels, you create an environment where they may gainaccesstounsuitablematerial.Watching the television in a family environment, particularly with children under ten, means you can put a context on what they see.

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OTHER TECHNOLOGIESMany other digital devices are becoming popular. Here is aselection:

Digital music playersDigitalmusicplayersplaymusicthathasbeenconvertedintospecialdigitalfiles.AwellknowntypeofdigitalmusicfileisMP3(whichiswhysomedigitalmusicplayersarecalledMP3Players).MP3isn’ttheonlytypeofdigitalmusicfile.Themostfamousdigitalmusicplayer,theiPod,usesitsowndigitalfileformattoconvertmusic.

Digital music players are a bit like Walkmans – except they don’trequire tapes or CDs. The music is downloaded from a personalcomputer.Userscan transfermusic fromtheirownCDs–via theircomputer–ontotheirdigitalplayer.

Parentsshouldbeawarethatsomedigitalmusicplayerscanalsostore and play video files. These can be music videos, films, ortelevision programming. If you child’s digital music player has thisability,youshouldcheckthattheirvideocontentissuitablefortheiragegroup.

Growth in downloading music and filmsAsdigitalmusicplayershavebecomepopular,sohasbuyingmusicfordownload insteadofonaCD.This involvesgoing toanonlinemusicstore (iTunes is themost famous)whereyoucanbuymusiceitherpersongorperalbum.Youpaybycreditcardandthemusicfileisdownloadeddirectlyontoyourcomputer’shard-drive.Youcanthenplaythemusicfileonyourcomputer(ifyouhavespeakers),putitontoyourdigitalmusicplayer,orcopyitontoarecordableCD.

Therewillbecertaincopyrightrestrictionsonhowyouusethemusicfile.ThisiscalledDigital Rights Management (DRM).Itwilllimitthenumber of computers or digital music players on which you canplaythemusicfile.Itwillalsolimitthenumberoftimesyoucancopythemusicfileontoa recordableCD.Remember,youarebreaking

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copyrightlawifyoucopythemusicontoaCDforsomeoneelse,ortransferitontotheirdigitalmusicplayer.

Itisbecomingpossibletobuy films and television shows onlineinthesameway.InAmerica,youcanbuyafilmonlineanddownloadit onto your computer’s hard-drive. You can then watch it on thecomputer,transferitontoaportablemediaplayer,orcopyitontoarecordableDVD.ThefilmfileissubjecttosimilarDRMrestrictionsasadownloadedmusicfile.

Film download services are likely to become easily available inIrelandinthecomingyears.Youwillneedabroadbandconnectiontodownloadfilms.

Personal Video RecorderThe Personal Video Recorder (or PVR) is another device to digitallyrecordtelevisionprogramming.ItispopularintheUnitedSlateswhereitismarketedunderthebrandnameTiVo.InIreland,itisavailableonsubscriptionfromBSkyBandisbuiltintotheirSkyPlusset-topbox.Thepersonalvideorecorderisabitlikeasmallpersonalcomputer,exceptitlookslikeaboxthatsitsontopofyourtelevision.Thisboxallowsyouto record many hours of programming while you are watching thetelevision.Youcanthengobackandlookatprogrammesyoumayhavemissed. This type of recorder “personalises” your television viewing.You can set the box to record the programmes that you wantthroughout theday,weekormonth. Youare then free towatchthematyourleisure.Inafewyears,asdigitaltelevisionbecomesmorepopular,mosthomeswillhavethiskindoftechnology.

Memory SticksThese are small compact devices – often on key rings – that plugintoaslotatthebackofacomputercalledaUSBport.TheyarealsosometimescalledFlashmemorydevices,USBkeyrings,orUSBsticks.Theycanbeusedtostoreinformationfromacomputersothatyoucanbringittoanothercomputer. Theyarereplacingthetraditionalfloppydisksbecausetheyperformthesamefunctionbutstorehundredsof

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timesmoreinformationandareeasytocarryabout.Theyareviewedasasecuritythreatbybusinessesandschoolsbecausepeoplecaneasily remove sensitive information from computer hard-drives orplaceoffensiveorillegalinformationonthem.

Digital CamcordersManyofyoumayhavecamcordersthatyouuseonholidaysoratbirthdays.Yourchildmaytakeaninterestanditcanbeameansofself-expression– just likedigitalcamerasand theirability toshootvideoclips.WiththerecentphenomenonofRealityTVshowslike“BigBrother”,olderchildrenareincreasinglyusingdigitalcamcorderstorecordvideodiariesandpersonalfilms.Somechildrenpostvideoson social-networking or user-generated content websites. If youbecomeawarethatyourchildrenaredoingso,checkthenatureofthevideostoensuretheyaresuitableanddonotgiveawayprivateinformationonline.

Digital RadioAlthoughradioisgenerallyan“analogue”technology,thisisbeginningtochange.IntheUK,theyarealreadytransmittingdigitalradio,whichis much more versatile then its analogue counterpart. Also, radiostations across the world are transmitting over the internet and ondigital television sets (including Ireland). Parents need to know thatradio(whetherdigitaloranalogue)hasno9pmwatershedandday-timeradioshowscanhavematurecontent.Mostchildrenhaveeasyaccesstoradio.Parentsneedtobeconsciousofwhatkindofstationsand shows their children are listening to, particularly online whereradiostationscanexistoutsidebroadcastingregulationandcontrols.

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3. PARENTS QUESTIONS

Q: What’s so dangerous about the internet for my child?

A:Theinternetisrapidlybecomingthebestcapturedsourceofhumanknowledge.However,itisalsobecomingadumpforsomeoftheworstcontent – such as pornography, exploitation, piracy, hate literature,misinformationandlibel.Equallyworryinghasbeenthedevelopmentofsitespromotingviolence,terrorism,andevenyouthsuicideandself-harm.Manypeopletakeforgrantedthatwhattheyreadontheinternetistrue.Unlikeanewspaperorbook,manywebsiteshavenoeditorialfilterwithsomeonelegallyresponsibleforthatcontent.Materialcanbepublishedontheinternetwithoutanyonecheckingthefacts.

This iswhyparentsshouldmonitortheirchildren’suseof theinternet.Parentsshould lookout forwarningsignssuchasoffensivee-mails,improper conversations in chatrooms, or inappropriate content. Youknowwhatisbestforyourchildren.Youneedtoknowwhatinformationtheyarepullingfromthisvastglobalcommunicationsnetwork. Itcanenrichfamilylifeandlearning,butthefreedomtoexchangeinformationthroughtheinternetcanmeanlotsofuntruestatementsendingupinthepublicdomain.Makechildrenawarethattheyshouldtrustinformationonlyfromreliablesources.

Q: How do I protect my child from seeing offensive material on the internet?

A: The Internet Advisory Board has published a parents’ guide tofilteringsoftware.Itisavailablefordownloadatwww.iab.ie.

Filteringsoftwarecanhelpprotectyourchildrenbyblockinginappropriatecontent before it appears on the computer screen. However, suchsoftware is not guaranteed to block 100% of inappropriate content.Youstillneedto takeanactiverole inmakingsureyourchildrenareaccessingonlywebsitesthataresuitablefortheiragegroup.

Evenwithfilteringsoftwareandcloseparentalsupervision,yourchildmayaccidentallystumbleacrossinappropriatecontentonline.Talktoyourchildaboutwhatisouttheresotheyhaveacontextforanythingthey come across. Information is power. It can help children to protect themselves as they begin to explore new media on their own.

Supervise your child’s use of the internet and set boundaries forwhat is appropriate and what is not. This should start at a youngage.Theboundariesmayexpandasthechildgrowsanddevelopshis or her own maturity, judgment and independence. It is crucialforchildrentobecomeindependent,butboundariesallowthemtohave an expanding safety net as they grow into adolescents andyoungadults.Ifyourchilddoesseeinappropriatecontentonline,youshouldencourage them tocome to youabout it. It is important tokeepthelinesofcommunicationopensoyoucangaugewhatkindofmaterialisupsettingthemandhowtohandleit.

Manypeoplesurftheinternetontheirmobilephone.Thesamerulesshouldapplyforyourchildrenusingmobileinternet.When buying a mobile phone for your child, ask the retailer about its level of internet access.

Q: What are the risks if my child uses social-networking and user-generated content websites?

A: Social-networking and user-generated content have been themost prominent online activities to emerge from a recent trend ofweb-applicationsbroadly labelledWeb2.0. TheemphasisofWeb2.0 is to move beyond static websites and encourage users tocommunicatewitheachotherandcreatetheirowncontent.

Without doubt, the applications have become extremely popularamong Irish children and teenagers in a short space of time. Theapplicationsarea funway foryoungpeople tocommunicatewithfriendsandbecreativeonline.Theycanactasabeneficialpartof

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young people’s digital lifestyle as they grow up in a world wheredigital technologies and applications – and the ability to use them–arebecomingincreasinglyimportant.

However, like many new online activities that are popular amongyoungpeople,thebenefitshavebeenaccompaniedbyrisks.Themainrisk tochildrenofusingsocial-networkingwebsites (orchatrooms) isthat they will give away too much personal information online, e.g.name, address, phone number. This information could be used bypeoplewhose intentionsareharmful,suchasbulliesorevenonlinepredators.Becausesomanyyoungpeopleandchildrenusesocial-networkingwebsites,onlinepredatorshavebeendrawnthere.Theycan try to make contact with children by pretending to be childrenthemselves. If your child does use a social-networking website, youshoulddiscourage themfromrevealingpersonal informationonline.Itisagoodideatodrawupa‘buddylist’,e.g.friendsfromschool,thatyoungchildrencancommunicatewithonline.

Onuser-generatedcontentwebsites,yourchildrencouldbebreakingcopyrightlawsiftheytakeclipsfromtelevisionprogrammesormusicvideosandpostthemonline.Reputablewebsiteswilltrytomakesuretheirusersdon’tpublishinappropriatecontent.Butthesheervolumeofcontentpostedonpopularwebsiteseverydaymakesthemdifficulttomonitor.Thereisariskthatyourchildrenwillseeinappropriatecontentiftheyareallowedtoviewthesewebsitesunsupervised.Manychildrenandyoungpeopleusetheircameraphonesordigitalcamcorderstomake videos of themselves, which they then publish online. If yourchildrendothis,makesurethevideosareappropriate.

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Q: What are the dangers of my child using free peer-to-peer (P2P) file swapping software?

A: Parentsshouldbeawareofanumberofissuesinrelationtofreepeer-to-peer.Oneisthatyourchildmaybebreakingthelawiftheyaredownloadingcopyrightedmusicorfilmcontent.Second, thesefree peer-to-peer networks are completely unmonitored. Childrenareatriskofdownloadingcomputerviruses,pornography,orotherunsuitablygraphicoroffensivematerial.

Acommonproblemonthesenetworksisthatthefilesavailablefordownload can be inappropriate content disguised with innocent-sounding names. For example, a file offered for download couldbe described as a famous Hollywood film. But once the file isdownloaded and played on a computer, it could turn out to besomethingelseentirely,suchaspornography.

Asaparentyouneedtobeawareoftheseapplicationsandifyourchildisusingthem.Talktoyourchildaboutthistypeofsoftware.Getthemtoexplaintoyouhowandwhytheyuseit.

Ifyoubecomeawareofillegalcontentdownloadedthroughapeer-to-peerservice,pleasereportitusingtheconfidentialwww.hotline.ieservice.

Q: What should I do if my child is playing a lot of video games?

A: Many parents worry that their children are not getting enoughexerciseduetoplayinggamesconsoles.Thesamecanbesaidoftelevision.Recentresearchstudieshaveshownthatgamesconsolescanincreasedexterityandintellectualdevelopmentamongchildrenbecause many games encourage lateral thinking and problem-solving exercises. However, too much of anything is a bad thing.It iswise that childrengetahealthybalancebetweengameplay,television and exercise. Boundaries should be set that limit theirindoordigitalmediatime.Itisimportantthatchildrengetexercisetomaintainahealthybalancedlifestyle.

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Q: How do I know what kind of content is on a video game?

A: One worry in relation to video games is the increasing level ofviolence and horror in them. Many titles are aimed at an olderaudienceandhavethesamelevelofviolenceandsexualcontentasanover-18sfilm.Oftenthegamesbecomemoreviolentorgraphicas you go through the different levels. Such games carry an ageclassification on the cover, e.g. 16 or 18. This should tell you if thegameissuitableforyourchild’sagegroup.

If you are unsure, check the suitability of the game for your child with your video games shop. It is a good idea to ask other parents. Alternatively, you can check if the game title is suitable at the following web address: www.pegi.info. However, this is a guide only and you should still check the games’ content for yourself.

Q: How can my child experience bullying through a mobile phone?

A: As many children in the school yard have mobile phones, theyhavebecomeavehicle forbullying throughoffensive texts,photosor calls. You should be aware of your child’s reaction to texts orcalls.Encouragethemtotalktoyouifyoufeelthattheyarereceivingdisturbingtextsorcalls.

The Irish Cellular Industry Association, which represents the Irishmobile operators, has issued a code of practice on bullying andmaliciouscommunicationovermobilephones. Further informationisavailableontheassociation’swebsite:www.ibec.ie/ibecweb.nsf/wvBusinessSectors/Irish_Cellular_Industry_Association?OpenDocument#InfoCentre

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Q: How do I keep my child safe from unwanted calls or texts over the mobile phone?

A:Thisisapotentialdangerasmobilesbecomemoresophisticated. There is the risk that offensive, pornographic or bullying materialcan be sent or accessed through the mobile phone. It is difficultfor the mobile phone operators to monitor all the traffic over theirnetwork.Soitisuptoparentstomonitortheirownchild’suseoftheirmobilephone.Encouragethemtotalktoyouaboutanyunwantedpictures,textsorcallsthattheymightreceive.Discussthedangers,setboundariesfortheiruseofthephone,andexplainthatyouaredoingthistolookafterthemratherthantolimittheirfreedom.If you set down rules without explanation, your children will use their phone in secret or ignore the rules when you are not around.

The benefits of mobile phones far outweigh the risks. The mobilephonemeansthatyoucankeepincontactwithyourchildwherevertheymaybe.Most parents see the phone as an added source of comfort and protection.

Q: What are the dangers in regard to digital television for my child?

A: One of the issues with digital television is the sheer amount ofprogramming. It is hard to drag a child away from the televisionwhenthereissomuchonit.Boundariesneedtobesetbyadultstolimittheamountoftimethatchildrenspendwatchingtelevision.Butdigital televisionoffersmuchmoreeducationalprogramming thenwewouldhavehadotherwise.

A risk may be inappropriate programmes and content. Non-Irishchannels on digital television – especially through satellite – areoutsidetheregulationof the Irishstate.Assuch,yourchildcanbeexposed (evenbefore thewatershed) tooffensiveor inappropriatecontent.Itisagoodideatobecomefamiliarwiththechannelsandschedules that your child likes. Certain set-top boxes allow you toblockchannels.

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Somedigitaltelevisionprovidersalsoofferparentalcontrols.Contactyourprovidertoseeifsuchaserviceisavailable.

For younger children, a more pervasive threat is commercialadvertising, especially on the digital children’s channels. Irishbroadcasting regulation does not dictate the amount or type ofadvertisingthatcanbepermittedonthesechannels.However,Irishdomestic TV channels, RTE, TG4 and TV3, face significant controlsoveradvertisementinchildren’sprogramming.Itisworthlookingattherulesprotectingchildren in relation to televisioncontent.CheckoutRTE’swebsite(www.rte.ie)andtheBroadcastingCommissionofIreland(www.bci.ie).

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2.5G:Thisnamedesignatesthetypeofinternetaccessonamobilephone.A2.5Gconnectioncanofferlimitedamountofinternetaccess.

3G:Thisisamorerobustconnectionformobilephones.Itofferstheopportunitytosurftheinternetandsendandreceivelargee-mailsandattachments.Itwillalsoallowyoutomakevideocalls.

AAnalogue:Analogueiseverythingbeforedigital.Vinylrecords,tapecassettes,musicstereos,thetelephone,etc.Thesealluseanaloguesignalstoconveyinformation.Theradiofrequencyisanexampleofananaloguesignal.

Anti-Virus Software:Thisisatypeofsoftwarethatpreventsyourcomputerfromgettingavirus.ThemainsoftwarevendorsareNorton’sAntivirusandMcAfee.Therearealsofreedownloadsavailable.

Attachment:Thisisafilethatcanarrivewithe-mail.Aniconofapaperclipwillappearwiththee-mailifthereisanattachment.IfyouareexpectinganattachmentsuchasaWorddocument,thenitissafetoopen.However,donotopenattachmentsfromstrangersastheyarelikelytocontainavirus.

B

Blog:Thisisaweblogoronlinediary.Itoffersreaderstheopportunitytoreplytoopinionsandlinktotheirownblogs.

Broadband:Abroadbandconnectionmeansthatyoucandownloadinformationfromtheinternetmuchfasterandwillbeconnectedallthetime.Asbroadbandbecomesincreasinglypopular,peoplewillusetheinternettosendorwatchvideo.

4. A-Z of New Media

Browser:Apieceofsoftwarethatallowsyouto“surf”theWorld Wide Web.

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CD-ROM:ACD-ROMisthesameasaCDexceptthatsomeoftheinformationonthedisccanbereadonlybyaPersonalComputer.

Chat:Chatisreal-timeconversationontheinternetbetweenpeopleusingaprogramlikeMSNInstantMessenger.It’susefulandit’sfree,anditcanhelpkeepdownphonecosts.

Controller:Thisisthedevicethatallowsaplayertocontroltheactionsinavideogame.Atwo-playergamerequirestwocontrollers.

Convergence:“Comingtogether”,whichmeansthatasingledevicecandomanyjobs.

Cyberspace:Thisisanothertermfortheinternet.

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Data:Thisreferstodigitalinformationandhowitisstored.ACD-ROMwillstoredigitaldatathatcanbereadbyacomputer.

Digital:Digitalisdifferenttoanalogueinthattheinformationisstorednotasasignalbutaseither“on”or“off”.Inthissense,itisnotunlikeMorseCode.Apersonalcomputer,amobilephoneoranyotherdigitaldevicewillreadtheinformationandknowwhethertodisplayitasmusic,videoortext.

Digital music player:Asmallportabledevicethatplaysmusicconvertedintospecialdigitalfiles,e.g.MP3.

Download:Thistermreferstothetransferofinformationfromonecomputertoanotherovertheinternet.

DVD:DigitalVersatileDiscs(orDVDs)looklikeCDsbuttheycanonlybeplayedoncomputersoronaDVD Player.Theyaremainlyusedtoplayfilms.IfyoulookataDVDinthelight,youwillseethatthe

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dataisstoredlikegroovesonavinylrecord.However,unlikeavideotapeoravinylrecord,thisinformationisdigitalandcanonlybeplayedbackbyadigitalplayer.

E

E-mail:

Thisisshortforelectronicmailandisamethodofcomposing,sending,andreceivingmessagesovertheinternet.

F

Flaming:Thisiswhenanonlineconversation(‘thread’)inachatroombecomesabusive.

G

Games console:Thesearethedevicesonwhichvideogamesareplayed.Thelargeronesarepluggedintotelevisionsetstodisplaythegame.Smallerhandheldconsoleshavetheirownscreens.

H

History files:Thesearetherecordedfilesofwhatwasviewedontheinternet.Inthecaseofinappropriatecontent,thesefilesareimportanttoprovethatsuchcontentwasviewed.Yourcomputerwillofferyoua‘history’option.

I

ICTStandsforInformation and Communications Technology.Inotherwords,itcanmeanalmostanythingthat’snewandrelevanttocommunications.Thisincludestheinternet,mobiletelephony,satellitecommunicationsanddigitaltelevisionovercableoraerials.

Instant Messaging:Thisisanapplicationthatallowsinstanttextcommunicationor“chat”betweentwoormorepeoplethroughanetworksuchastheinternet.TherearemanytypesoftheseapplicationssuchasMSNInstantMessenger,YahooMessengerandSkype.

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Internet:Theinternetcomesfromthewords“internationalnetwork”andisanetworkofcomputerssharinginformationallovertheworld.Thisnetworkbecamecommonlyknownastheinternetinthemid-1980s.TheinternetissometimesconfusedwiththeWorld Wide Web.Infact,theWorld Wide Webisjustapartoftheinternet,asaree-mail,instantmessagingandpeer-to-peernetworking.Theinternetisthenetworkthatenablesallthesedifferenttypesofcommunication.

L

Laptop:Alaptopisaportablepersonalcomputerthatissmallenoughtositonyourlap.

Link:Alinkishowyounavigatearoundawebsiteorgofromonewebsitetoanotherthatmayhaverelatedinformation.Linkinghasopenedupawholenewwayofpresentinginformation.

N

Net:Anabbreviationof“internet”.

O

Online:Ifyouareonline,youareliveontheinternet.

P

Personal Video Recorder:ThisisaboxthatconnectstoyourTVandallowsyoutorecordtelevisionprogrammingwithouttheneedfortapesorDVDs.

Pocket PC:Thisisasmall,handheldPCaboutthesizeofalargemobilephone.ItisalsocalledaPersonalDigitalAssistant(PDA).

Predictive text:Thisisaprogramonmobilephonesthathelpsyoucomposetextmessagesquicklyby“predicting”thewordyouaretyping.

Premium services:Theseareservicesthatyoucanaccessthroughamobilephonethatprovidecontentatpremiumrates(ormorethananormalcallwouldcost).

Programme guide:Onadigitaltelevision,thisisanelectronicprogrammeguidewherebyyoucanaccess

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extrainformationaboutotherchannelsandprogrammingthroughtheremotecontrol.

R

Remote Control:Theremotecontrolisadevicethatwirelesslycontrolsdevicessuchasthetelevision,videorecorder,DVDormusicsystem.

Ringtones:Thesearedigitalmusicfilesthatcanbeusedonmobilephonesasringingtones.Allphonescomewithpre-programmedringtonesbutyoucanalsodownloadringtonesataprice.

S

Satellite dish:Asatellitedishisaround,plate-likeobjectthatactsasanaerialfordigitaltelevision.Itisusuallyhungonthesideofthehouseorontheroof.

Search-engine:Search-enginesallowyoutosearchtheWorldWideWebforrelevanttext,images,audioandincreasinglyvideo.IfyouarelookingforsomethingontheNet,useasearch-enginesuchasGoogle.comorYahoo.com.

Set-top box:Aset-topboxisaboxthatconnectstoyourtelevisionandallowsyoutoreceivedigitaltelevisioneitherthroughcable,satellite,anaerialorthroughthephoneline.Itliterallytranslatesthedigitalinformationanddisplaysitonyourtelevisionscreen.

SMS:Standsfor“ShortMessagingService”butisgenerallyknownastexting.

Social-networking websites:Thesearewebsitesthatencouragecommunicationamongacommunityofusers.Theusersoftenloadprofilesofthemselvesandpostvideos,photographsandblogs.

Spam:Unwantede-mail.Theseareoftenmarketingscamsorunwantedadvertisements,occasionallyofasexualnature.Theyincreasinglycontainmaliciousviruses.Childrenshouldbeencouragednottoopene-mailsfrompeopletheydonotknowandcertainlynottoopenanyattachments.Also,neverreplyorunsubscribetospam–thisjusttellsthesender

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thatyouraddressisactiveandyouwillgetmorespam.Thereisfilteringsoftwareavailable.Butthissometimessendswantede-mailstothejunkmailbox.Alwayscheckyourjunkmailboxfore-mailsthatmayhavebeenputthroughtherebymistake.

Surfing:ThisisthetermusedtodescribemovingaroundtheWeb.T

Texting:Thisisthemeansofsendingawrittenmessagefromonephonetoanother.

TiVo:ThisisthebrandnameofatypeofPersonalVideoRecorder.IthasbecomeintheUSagenericnamelikeHoover.

U

User-generated content websites:Thesearewebsiteswheretheuserscreateandpublishthemajorityofthecontent.

V

VHS:ThisstandsforVideoHomeSystem,andisthetechnicalnameforavideocassettethatplaysinahomevideorecorder.

Virus:Thisisamaliciouspieceofsoftwarethatcandogreatdamagetoapersonalcomputer.Theyareoftensentthroughe-mailattachmentsorcontainedondisks.Itisimportantthatyouhaveanti-virus softwaretodealwiththethreat.Youshouldbealwayscarefulwhenopeninganattachmentorputtinginadiskfromastranger.

W

Web 2.0:Thisisthetermtodescribeanewwaveofinternetapplications,whichputstheemphasisonuserscommunicatingwitheachotherandcreatingtheirowncontent.

Web address:Thisistheaddressthattellsyourcomputerthelocationofawebsite,suchaswww.ireland.comorwww.iab.ie.

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Web cams:ThesearesmalldigitalcamerasthatarepluggedintoaPC.Theyallowyoutodothingssuchasvideoconferenceorsendvideomail.

Website: AwebsiteisasiteontheWorldWideWebwhereinformationisheld.Awebsitesitsonacomputerthatisconnectedtotheinternet.

World Wide Web: TheWorldWideWebisacollectionofwebsitesheldoncomputersallaroundtheworldandconnectedbytheinternet.

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USEFUL WEBSITES

Please note that these links are intended as assistance and the Internet Advisory Board does not accept responsibility or endorse any of the websites listed nor the information that is contained within them.

CHILD-FOCUSSED SEARCH-ENGINES

Yahooligans:www.yahooligans.com

SAFETY SITES

Thereisalargenumberof“safetysites”ontheinternet.Somerepeatthesameinformation.Othersspecialiseincertainaspectsofinternetsafety.Belowisjustasmallexampleofsomesitesworthvisiting.

www.chatdanger.comAimedspecificallyatchildren/teensandprovidessafetytipsandadviceaboutusingchatrooms.

www.cyberangels.orgComprehensiveinternationalsiteofferingpracticaladviceandlistsofsuggestedsafesitesandchild-friendlysearch-engines.

www.watchyourspace.ieAdviceonmanagingchildren’sprofilesonsocial-networkingwebsites.

www.childnet-int.orgExcellentexampleofagoodallroundsafetysiteforchildren.

www.netfamilynews.orgProvidesusefulinformationandlinksforfamilies,teachersandguardiansofkidswhogoonline.

www.makeitsecure.ieThiswebsiteprovidesinformationonhowtoprotectyourcomputerandhowtosafelyenjoythebenefitsofconnectingtotheinternet.

www.childline.ieChildsafetyissues.

www.thinkuknow.co.ukTheChildExploitationandOnlineProtectionCentre(basedintheUnitedKingdom).

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5. GENERAL INFORMATION

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www.safekids.comAfamilyguidetoonlinesafety.

www.eukidsonline.netAEuropeanprojecttopromoteresearchintochildren’suseoftheinternet.

www.blogsafety.comAdviceonhowtoblogandusesocial-networkingwebsitessafely.

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH

The Media Awareness Network’s studywww.media-awareness.ca:astudyofCanadianstudents.Itexploreswhatyoungpeopledoonline,howtheyperceivetheinternet,andwhattheyknowaboutit.

Prof. Sonia Livingstone, London School of Economics www.children-go-online.net:aprojectexploringthenatureandmeaningofchildren’sinternetuse.

www.saferinternet.org:ContainstheEuropeanUnion’sinitiativesonpromotingsaferuseoftheinternet.Comprehensiveandinformative,itprovidesawealth

ofinformationoninternetsafety.

www.bullying.org

USEFUL SOFTWARE

Filtering software information

CyberPatrol(www.cyberpatrol.com)

NetNanny(www.contentwatch.com)

Cybersitter(www.cybersitter.com)

ICRAplus(www.icra.org/icraplus/)

AGENCIES AND SUPPORTS

National Initiatives

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform(www.justice.ie)

Hotline(www.hotline.ie)Irishhotlineforpublicreportsofchildpornography.

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Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland (www.ispai.ie)

An Garda Síochána(www.garda.ie)

Scoilnet(www.scoilnet.ie)Providesinformation,adviceandsupporttoschoolsonInformationTechnology.

Barnardos (www.barnardos.ie)

NetSecure(www.netsecure.ie)ThisistheofficialwebsiteoftheNationalAwarenesscampaignonComputersecurity.

Broadband.gov.ie(www.broadband.gov.ie)ThiswebsiteoffersinformationonbroadbandtechnologyandbroadbandavailabilitywithinIreland.

NCTE(www.ncte.ie)TheNationalCentreforTechnologyinEducationisanIrishGovernmentagencyestablishedtoprovideadvice,supportandinformationon

theuseofinformationandcommunicationstechnology(ICT)ineducation.

Irish Cellular Industry Association:www.ibec. ie/ ibecweb.nsf/w v B u s i n e s s S e c t o r s / I r i s h _Cellular_Industry_Association?OpenDocument#InfoCentre

Webwise(www.webwise.ie)IstheIrishInternetSafetyAwarenessNodemanagedbytheNCTE.Webwiseprovidesparents,teachers,andchildrenwitheducationalresources,adviceandinformationaboutpotentialdangersontheinternet.Itempowersuserstominimiseoravoidtheserisks.Webwisesharesbestpractice,informationandresourceswithEuropeanpartnersthroughtheEuropeanCommission’sInsafenetwork.

Data Protection Commissioner(www.dataprotection.ie)TheDataProtectionCommissionerisresponsibleforupholdingrightsofprivacyinregardtotheprocessingofpersonaldata.

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International Initiatives

INHOPE(www.inhope.org)TheInternetHotlineProvidersinEuropeAssociationfacilitatestheworkofEuropeanhotlinesinrespondingtoillegaluseandcontentontheinternet.

Virtual Global Taskforce(www.virtualglobaltaskforce.org)Thisismadeupofpoliceforcesfrom around the world to fightonlinechildabuse.

ICRAsafe(www.icra.org)The Internet Content RatingAssociation has developeda system for the labelling ofcontentonwebsites.

Insafe(www.saferinternet.org)A network of national groupsthat coordinate internet safetyawarenessinEurope.

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30-0108/0710,000BrunswickPressLtd.(19298)

GETWITH

IT!

This booklet is abouthelping you

Parents worry about the dangers of newmedia for their children from accessingunsuitable content to being exposed to predatory adults. But the internet and the new media world, from mobiles to digitalgames, is also one of fun, learning, communications and creativity. Thisbooklet is intended to increaseawareness of all aspects of the new media world and to help parentsnavigate the often confusing maze of new media technologies and tools which their children are using. It is intended to help parents know more about theinternet and digital age so that they canbest keep their children safe – enjoyingthe wonders of the digital landscape and avoiding its downside.

For more Information Contact:

Internet Advisory Board, c/o Pinebrook House71-74 Harcourt StDublin 2

Freefone 1800 24 25 95T: + 353 1 6028661F: + 353 1 6028634E: getwithit@justice.ieW: www.iab.ie

This booklet was originally produced for the Internet Advisory Board by Athena Media. It was updated in 2007 by the SIM research centre, Dublin City University.All rights rest with the Internet Advisory Board.

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GETWITH

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A parents’ guide to new media technologies

understanding and

sharing the new

media technologies

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