| Comment Number: | OL-100006 |
| Received: | 11/9/2004 12:19:47 AM |
| Organization: | Teenangels.org (a program of WiredSafety.org) |
| Commenter: | Parry Aftab |
| State: | NJ |
| Agency: | Federal Trade Commission |
| Rule: | Notice Announcing Public Workshop and Requesting Public Comment and Participation |
| Docket ID: | Not yet available |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
WiredSafety.org has created three separate programs, designed to work together ot help create awareness about responsible Internet use and intellectual property use online. As important as safe and private surfing issues are, teaching our children responsible surfing is just as important. It is crucial that our young people are taught to respect the property of others. And while they may have been confused about how no one sues them for taping a song from the radio, but they are subject to lawsuits for copying it form the computer, all our children, teens and college students know that downloading first-run motion pictures is illegal. The three programs are: WiredSafety.org’s newest program, Internet Super Heroes (Internetsuperheroes.org) uses Marvel’s extraordinary super heroes, such as Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men and others, and their more than 4000 other comic characters to teach safe, private and responsible technology use. The program is designed to help create good cybercitizens, teaching children to control the technology instead of being controlled by it. Internetsuperheroes.org encourages children to find the “super hero within.” Materials and activities for educators, parents, school administrators and children and teens themselves are available online, without charge at the Internetsuperheroes.org website. Parry's Teenangels program (teenangels.org) creates teen (and now preteen) cyberexperts to help spread the message of safe, private and responsible surfing to their peers. Trained by the FBI among others, these teens undergo extensive training and run their own awareness and educational programs teaching about the 4 Ps- Privacy, Predators, Porn and Piracy. Their anti-piracy awareness and educational campaigns will be delivered to schools and community organizations using the Marvel characters and other youth groups worldwide. WiredSafety.org’s Peers2Peers program (peers2peers.org) is designed to teach children and teens the importance of intellectual property rights and enlists their help in creating meaningful awareness messages, delivered by other children and teens using videos, websites and poster messaging. Parry has learned from her work with thousands of young people that different messages to counter-piracy work with different children and teens. No one reason resonates with all. By allowing the young technology users to develop their own messaging, using multi-media formats that allow them to explore their own creativity, the audience will find at least one message that speaks to them. Getting the kids involved also helps them understand that piracy should be unacceptable, not the norm. We have learned that children and teens are the most powerful voices, especially when empowered with the information and support they need to share their voices. We have learned that kids always surprise you, frequently for the better. Parry Aftab, Esq. on behalf of WiredSafety.org, the world's largest online safety and help group (a 501c-3 corporation) see also: www.wiredkids.org, www.teenangels.org and www.peer2peer.org, as well as www.internetsuperheroes.org.