Technology Expert & Therapist
How many texts are too much?
I just had a young man in my office who sends approximately 25,000 texts a month. That is just about 850 a day!!!
How many do you send?
Are you addicted?
I know. I have heard it a thousand times. I am not addicted. I can stop anytime I want. Wellll....
Have you ever felt your Blackberry, iPhone or Android vibrate even though you weren't wearing it at the time?
When was the last time you came to dinner while it was still hot or the family was still at the table?
Do you get snippy when a loved one disrupts your online activity?
These are all simple examples of a phenomenon called Technology Addiction. It is something to wave off. People are suffering from the instant gratification of being online and connected. We have grown so dependent to our technology devices that we cannot survive without them.
I have met with people who didn't get on their flight because they had forgotten their cell phone at home. I have met with couples who are contemplating divorce because one spouse feels that the cell phone or computer is having an affair with the respective spouse. Kids are sleeping at their desks because they were up all night texting.
And umm, I think we all know what happened to Anthony Weiner, among others, who gave up a promising career because of their obsessiveness with technology. This is no laughing matter.
If you are reading this blog, then you are also a technology user. You may even be suffering from some of the things mentioned.
So, reply to this blog and then shut off the computer and go do something analog. The digital world could use a rest.
Monitoring Software
As I travel around speaking, I have heard first hand, some of the horror stories that parents are facing with their children's activities on the Internet. Because of that, I have decided that using monitoring software is most definitely the way to go in trying to protect our children. So, what is monitoring software? I will explain.Imagine hooking up your camcorder just above your shoulderand turning it on and recording everything you do during the day. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, no matter what you say (or to whom). It records everything. Simply stated, that ...<< MORE >>
Filters or Loggers?
Probably the most common question I am asked is, "What software should I use to protect my family from getting into trouble?". My answer is very simple. According to my own experience and backed up by statistics and research, filters just simply do not work. They can easily be bypassed by kids or others who are much more computer savvy than most parents. My opinion is that a keylogger or monitoring software should be used since it acts as a tape recorder that captures EVERY action performed on the computer. Think of it as a wiretap.By using software like this ...<< MORE >>
Updates
I think that I will begin updating the blog with various newsworthy information that pertains to Internet Safety, Forensics and general high tech topics that might have an interest to you as the reader.
I have discussed many times in my presentations about the various ways in which people can get online wirelessly. It always amazes me when I drive down a street and scan for unencrypted wi-fi signals. I don't want to give anyone any ideas, but any enterprising soul can piggyback onto a signal and be surfing the Internet for free with little or no effort. Recently a young person was actually arrested for trespassing because he was sitting in a stranger's backyard using their broadband account. The property owner wasn't upset that they hadn't secured their access, they were upset that this fellow was loitering in their backyard.
If you think that you have controlled your child's access by locking down your computer, think again. Did you buy your child an XBox or PSP for their birthday? Both of those devices have wireless Internet capability. Even though you may not approve, when they close their bedroom door, they may very well be online chatting with someone of unknown character. Be vigilant.
Recently in one of the northeast states, there was a case of a child who was the victim of a predator, who met that predator via that child's XBox. This is real danger. I am sure you have all seen the MSNBC specials about this topic. You simply cannot afford to let your guard down.
I will write more as time goes by, but let me know what your thoughts are. Is Law Enforcement doing enough to combat this problem? Should civilians be involved in exposing these predators? What ideas do you have for combating this issue?
I have discussed many times in my presentations about the various ways in which people can get online wirelessly. It always amazes me when I drive down a street and scan for unencrypted wi-fi signals. I don't want to give anyone any ideas, but any enterprising soul can piggyback onto a signal and be surfing the Internet for free with little or no effort. Recently a young person was actually arrested for trespassing because he was sitting in a stranger's backyard using their broadband account. The property owner wasn't upset that they hadn't secured their access, they were upset that this fellow was loitering in their backyard.
If you think that you have controlled your child's access by locking down your computer, think again. Did you buy your child an XBox or PSP for their birthday? Both of those devices have wireless Internet capability. Even though you may not approve, when they close their bedroom door, they may very well be online chatting with someone of unknown character. Be vigilant.
Recently in one of the northeast states, there was a case of a child who was the victim of a predator, who met that predator via that child's XBox. This is real danger. I am sure you have all seen the MSNBC specials about this topic. You simply cannot afford to let your guard down.
I will write more as time goes by, but let me know what your thoughts are. Is Law Enforcement doing enough to combat this problem? Should civilians be involved in exposing these predators? What ideas do you have for combating this issue?
Welcome to my blog
I would like to thank you for reading my blog. If you have gottent this far, then it is obvious that you are interested in the topic of Internet Safety and protecting children and loved ones from abusive and addictive online use.I have been involved in the computer industry for over 28 years and Law Enforcement for over 17. In 1998 I developed the Computer Crime Unit at the Rockland County Sheriff's Department in upstate New York and became a Computer Forensic Investigator. Since then I have examined well in excess of a few hundred computers, pdas, cellphones and other ...<< MORE >>
