While MySpace Turns Over Thousands Of Known Convicted Sex Offender User Profiles To Authorities, And Legislation Brews At National And State Levels, pcpandora.com Reminds Parents That They Are Ultimately The First And Last Line Of Defense Against Online Predators
New York, NY (PRWEB) May 31, 2007 -- A national poll released this week from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital found that adults ranked Internet safety as the No. 7 most important teen health topic. The poll asked adults to rank 17 health problems for children; other top ranking concerns were smoking, drug abuse and obesity.
"Internet safety is all over the news lately," says Pandora Corp. co-founder Manny Coats. "2007 has been a hot year for the issue, from the blocking of COPA, to Ms. America's stint with America's Most Wanted, to the most recent MySpace situation."
It seems that the message is finally sinking in. Every day the news reports more predators busted by local and national law enforcement. Town and County meetings are popping up weekly across the country, helping to spread the education to parents. And more parents than ever are talking to their kids about safety and using parental control software.
To strike while the proverbial iron is hot, Congress has declared June as National Internet Safety Month (S. Res 205) for the third year in a row. The timing couldn't be better.
"When kids are out of school, they spend more time online. Obviously summer is going to see a spike in child Internet usage, much of which will be unsupervised," explains Coats. "But we're also going to see a spike in persistence of online predators."
It's with this in mind that the folks at pcpandora.com are spreading three keys to Safe Summer Surfing: Educate. Discuss. Protect.
"Now more-so-than-ever, parents are the first and last line of defense against sexual predators that may be targeting their kids online. Parents need to educate themselves on all things Internet," says Coats.
"Educate," repeats James Leasure, co-founder of Pandora Corp. "Take the time to educate yourself on everything from popular web lingo, to the friends on your child's buddy lists to the sites they frequent. You should recognize and have a familiar sense of everything your child does online. And if you have a question - ask."
The company's website contains 18 Tips for Safe Surfing and a blog, both which offer solutions, resources and discussions for parents.
"Talking to your kids is the best thing you can do," says Leasure about the second point: Discuss. "If you are well-educated on the net and can bring the discussion to the child's level - which in most cases is up a notch from the parents' level - it will go a long way."
Most experts agree that keeping the lines of communication open is essential for safety, but it also helps build trust.
And while many stories use scare tactics to tell parents to protect their kids from dangers online - they are not telling them HOW! Pcpandora.com's third point, protect, offers a concrete solution on how parents can do so, effectively: through their software, PC Pandora.
"The program works like a TiVo for your PC," says Coats about the monitoring software. "It takes actual sequential snapshots of what's on your computer screen so you see exactly what your kids see. In addition, it has all the features that other programs utilize, such as site filtering and blocking, time scheduling, and it will even email a busy parent at work with updates on your child's online activity. If someone is approaching your kids with ill intentions, you will know. It's really the best all-around defense you can get."
As a special promotion for National Internet Safety Month, the company is offering the software at a discounted price. Parents can use the code 'safety2007' at checkout to get $15 off the Standard or Pro editions of the program.
"We want parents to have easy access to the best tools, and we want to be a resource for parents," says Leasure, "a place where they can come to discuss issues, get tips, educate themselves and find answers. Online safety is an important topic, now more so than ever - and it's up to parents to make sure we succeed."
The company hopes to keep online safety at the forefront of parents' minds throughout the summer. June is just the start.
About PC Pandora: Pandora Corporation was formed with one goal - to help our customers monitor, control and protect their families and themselves online. First released in 2005, PC Pandora has been constantly upgraded to industry-leading specifications and has received accolades from users, reviewers and even school districts and law enforcement agencies. With the release of Windows Vista-compatible version 4.2 and a newly upgraded interactive website, PC Pandora has vaulted into a leadership position by boasting a combination of features that unparalleled in the monitoring industry. The company website devotes space to helping parents with 18 Tips to Safe Surfing and the new Pandora's Blog, where current news in the world of online safety are discussed regularly. Co-Founders Manny Coats and James Leasure are available for interviews and comments. More information can be found online at pcpandora.com.
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