By Greg Mellen, Behind The Badge
With summer vacation, the excitement of being released from the confinement of classrooms and the freedom of outdoor play can soon give way to the dog days as kids look to digital adventures.
Left on their own, kids invariably turn to their devices. While opportunities abound for enjoyment and social interaction online, danger can lurk. It is important that parents acquaint, or reacquaint, themselves with what their children are up to on the digital highway. When texting, gaming or otherwise engaged online, kids can be at risk.
Safe OC, on its Online Gaming page, warns, “There is a dark side to the social interaction that can take place through these online gaming platforms, including cyberbullying, online predators and radicalization for domestic and international terrorist cells.”
Remember, wherever children can be found online, bad actors can be found as well. Groups like SafeOC have partnered with the See Something Say Something campaign to remind parents and caretakers to be on the lookout.