CyberSafe: Protecting and Empowering Kids in the Digital World of Texting, Gaming, and Social Media

Dr. Gwenn provides the tools parents need to help their child navigate the digital world with insight and intelligence. Children today are growing up in a world far different from the one in which their parents were raised. Between the Internet, gaming systems, mp3 players, and cell phones, today's kids are nearly always connected to something digital. And, because it's developing so fast, it's hard for parents to stay on top of the technology--and even harder to figure out how to help their kids make good decisions when it comes to these things. This informative book will guide parents through the landscape of the digital world, helping them better understand things like:

• The history and the future of the Internet

• Cyberbullying (and how to help kids deal with it if it happens to them)

• Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace

• Gaming and virtual worlds

• Parental control systems that allow parents to monitor kids' online activities

• Digital footprints (and how kids can make sure theirs is a good one). Beyond informing readers on the latest trends in technology, Dr. Gwenn gives provides the tools parents need to help their child navigate the digital world with insight and intelligence. Because, let's face it, just because kids may be more technologically savvy than their parents doesn't mean they have the wisdom and understanding to make good decisions with the media they're using. In addition to helping parents understand the digital world so they can help their children thrive in it, the book also includes tips to help the whole family discover the joy of the unplugged world that is still going on around them. About the Author: Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, MD, FAAP, is a practicing pediatrician, health journalist, and CEO of Pediatrics Now, an online health and communications company. Through www.pediatricsnow.com and the nationally syndicated blog www.drgwennisin.com, she addresses issues ranging from general health to those concerning the intersection of health care and social media. She lives in Boston and is a fellow and national spokeswoman of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and an executive committee member of the AAP's Council of Communications and Media and was the lead author of the council's social media and sexting tips.