*ARE YOUR KIDS BREAKING THE LAW * *WHEN THEY /LOG ON/?* * * *Downloading Music and Movies May Be Easy and Fun, * *But Not When ItÕs/ _Illegal_/* * * Recent studies found that 83 percent of teens, aged 13 to 17, found downloading free music was morally acceptable. With so many file swapping programs available online, *digital piracy*, or the illegal downloading of copyrighted music, movies, videos and other entertainment programming, has become an important issue parents should discuss with their kids NOW. In addition to recognizing that they are not anonymous online, kids and their parents need to understand that illegally downloading any copyrighted material will not only damage the familyÕs computer, but it also can put the family at risk for *fines and legal prosecution. * * * */Robin Raskin is a technology consultant specializing in consumer technologies. Former editor of Family PC magazine and current technology consultant and author she is regarded as one of the leading authorities on todayÕs family and is an outspoken advocate for parental involvement in raising digital kids/*. Robin is available for an in-studio interview. *She will unveil new research underscoring the need for parents to educate themselves about digital piracy *and how to talk to their kids about being responsible digital citizens. She will also answer important questions such as: á /What rules should parents set with kids about swapping music and movies on peer to peer networks?/ á /How can parents check on their kidÕs activities online?/ á /How can parents respect their childÕs privacy while taking measures to prevent them from breaking the law?/ á /How can parents steer their children in the right direction?/ á /Where can parents go for more information on copyrights and downloading?/ * * *_PARENTS HOUSE RULES FOR DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT_* */By Robin Raskin, The Internet Mom/* *LISTEN AND COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CHILD.* Start by asking them if they download movies and music; donÕt attack them regardless of the answer. ItÕs important that they feel they can engage in an open conversation. But, be firm on how you feel about illegally obtaining, swapping and copying digital entertainment. They look to you for moral right and wrong. *SET HOUSE RULES AND SPELL OUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF NON COMPLIANCE.* As you consider the* *potential consequences of illegal Òfile swappingÓ and the danger to your computer you can limit access to illegal sites through parental control software like Cybersitter or NetNanny or through parental controls in AOL or MSN. You can take away Internet privileges for a set amount of time if you feel your child is not obeying the rules. *ARM YOURSELF WITH INFORMATION THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW. *Peer-to-peer sites where music files are shared are notorious for spreading viruses across computers and for unleashing spyware that lives in your computer and will capture and record your web clicks and sometimes even your identity, making you and your family vulnerable to identify theft. A good resource to start with is www.respectcopyrights.org . *UNDERSTAND THEIR GENERATION OF THINKING. Ò*Everyone is doing itÓ or Òrock stars and movie stars make too much money anyhowÓ or Òthe corporate entertainment scene is corruptÓ is* *likely to be what youÕll hear.* * YouÕll need to arm yourself with the counterarguments to these. Explain that most artists are not super wealthy and that they are leaving themselves open to doing something that is ethically wrong, could damage their computer and have legal consequences. *SET A GOOD EXAMPLE*. If you are currently using a peer-to-peer network to obtain digital music and movies, understand that your children will follow your lead. * *Let them see you buying your entertainment legally and theyÕll follow suit. *TEACH YOUR CHILDREN EMPATHY. *Explain to your kids that movie producers, directors, set designers and the hundreds of other Òbehind the scenesÓ people make a living by making movies, just like mom and dad get paid to do their jobs.* *These people need to support families, just like theirs, and rely on movie fans to pay for the movies they watch. *GIVE THEM AN OPTION TO LISTEN TO OBTAIN DIGITAL CONTENT LEGALLY*. ItÕs not enough to say you canÕt download; youÕve got to tell them what they can do. You can consider giving them an entertainment allowance to spend on a legal site like iTunes or Rhapsody or a movie site like Movielink.com. * * *_About Robin Raskin_* *_ _* Robin Raskin has been translating technology into consumer friendly terms for more than 20 years. Today, as a technology consultant, spokesperson, and author she spends a great deal of her time focusing on family life in a digital world. She's been the Editor in Chief of FamilyPC, editor of PC Magazine, and columnist for USA Today Online and the Gannett News Service, winning numerous prizes for her coverage of technology. Raskin has authored 6 books about parenting in the digital age, for publishers including Random House, Simon and Shuster and Hyperion. Recently she's served as a consultant to both publishing and high tech companies helping them reach consumers who want to benefit from the high tech lifestyle. Clients include Nickelodeon, Intel, Microsoft, SONY, Disney Publishing, Ziff Davis Publishing and Gruner and Jahr. Projects have included everything from citywide speaking tours, to television work. to custom publishing and web production. She also serves as Director of Communications at The Princeton Review, a company that helps students, parents, and schools achieve success in the gamut of standardized testing from kindergarten right through graduate school. Click here to read more about Robin and the Princeton Review on PR Week. Currently she is working on a special edition of Family Circle Magazine.about raising teens. Raskin produces her own monthly television tours on high tech living which are carried by local television stations nationwide, and appears on NBC Early Today, MSNBC, Live with Regis and Kelly, CBS Early Show, and Fox's Good Day New York. As a freelance writer her work appeared in such magazines as PC World, PC Week, InfoWorld, Working Mother, Working Woman, Child and Newsday. Raskin is an outspoken advocate for parental involvement in raising digital kids. She frequently addresses parents and educators, policy makers, the high tech industry on topics like Internet Safety and Raising Digital Kids. Raskin has testified before the Federal Trade Commission on Internet safety; presented research to then-Vice President Gore on parental technology; and was part of then First Lady Hillary ClintonÕs series of meetings for women editors . She also served on the National Research Council's Committee, which published "Tools and Strategies for Protecting Kids from Pornography and their Applicability to Other Inappropriate Internet Content." Raskin lives in New York City and Hudson Valley with her husband, 3 children, and a pile of ever-changing gadgets.