Welcome to the wild, wild web? Fewer parents enforcing Internet rules for kids

CAT Tracks Editor's Notes:

With the likes of Jane Tallim, co-executive director of MediaSmarts, herding them on with cries of "Yee-haw, yippee-ki-yay!"

Tallim lost me in the math:

"We talk about the importance of rules, but it's also important for parents to have ongoing conversations with their children about their activities online," said Tallim, pointing out that kids today are more likely to learn about Internet safety from a parent than a teacher: 64 per cent versus 53 per cent.

...64% of kids learn about Internet safety from a parent...

...53% of kids learn about Internet safety from a teacher.

Guess that's in line with those people who allegedly "give more than 100%".

I know, I know, she probably meant that some students learn from BOTH a parent and a teacher, but...

Hey, I get it.

Media folks love their technology and will "by any means necessary" defend their toys against all comers.

Plus, with modern technology, it is what it is. There is no way to control what kids will do when "left to their own devices."

I absolutely loved the following pie-in-the-sky, absolutely in denial quote:

"The majority of girls and boys (89 per cent) told us that even though they recognize risks, they feel confident that they know how to protect themselves online."

Well, Jane, how well did that work with "babies having babies"?

A final memo to Jane Tallim and her fellow apologists:

"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time."