One of the world altering aspects of the Internet is that it brings us closer together. This is not always a good thing, and regardless of my published objections to the attention grabing fear tactics used by some, it is essential to acknowledge that inappropriate uses and even dangerous opportunities exist there. There are people out there whom we do not want our children to come in contact with. There are also retired grandmothers, such as Mary Conyers, who bless us with their drive and dedication.
Knightdale (a suburb of Raleigh) — Mary Conyers came out of retirement with one goal in mind: To keep kids safe online. She got the idea after watching her own granddaughters try to navigate the treacherous waters of cyberspace.
So far, the Knightdale grandmother has started a non-profit called “Protect Every Child,†which has distributed hundreds of free DVD’s to help schools and parents educate their kids about being safe online.
The DVD includes the basics – don’t talk to strangers and don’t share personal information. These rules seem simple, but they are violated every day.
You can see the WRAL video here!
I haven’t seen the DVD and don’t know that Ms. Conyers isn’t using the same fear and death scare tactics that bother me so much. But what intrigues me in this story is that there is so much goodness and caring out there to learn from — not just the evil to fear.
Lamb, Amanda. “Knightdale Grandmother Set Sights on Cyberspace Safety.” WRAL News 7 May 2007 8 May 2007 <http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1393521/>.