Blog 13: Internet Safety

There were pro's and con's to each site dedicated to internet safety for children.  I was least impressed with the AT&T safety game.  The font was too small and the directions were long winded and I could see kids getting bored reading the directions and change sites before even finishing.  Also the lack of audio directions or of a narrator speaking to you is undesirable and would be much more efficient if that was used as in the "Bad Guy Patrol" game.  The interactivity and simplicity of the objectives was good and would correlate well with child abilities.  The "Bad Guy Patrol" was my favorite and I believe most efficient in teaching children about internet safety.  To complete each objective the individual must answer several questions regarding internet safety and was rewarded for each correct answer and provided an explanation as to why this answer was correct or incorrect.  The narration was simple and fun but the special effects were limited and somewhat boring.  The "Keep Kids Safe" site was very attractive effects wise and I could see the games holding interest very well but the relevance and presence of internet safety instructions was limited.  The site as a whole would be difficult for a child to navigate.  I think all of these sites have good intentions with their games but need some adjustments in their presentation or level of difficulty.