Parent Newsletter May 2009

Yoursphere Parent Newsletter, May 2009

In this issue:

• Yoursphere In The News
• A Word With You In Privo
• Young Writer's Contest II
• Parent Forum
• Inside the 'Sphere: Dreams
• WeSphere

Hi Friends,

Welcome to the sixth edition of our parent newsletter. Amazing to think that when Yoursphere started just a few short months ago we were printing this thing by hand on parchment scrolls! Thank heavens for Gutenberg and, uh, Google. Anyway, here what's happening at the most dynamic, most secure networking site for teens and tweens.

Yoursphere In The News

The May Reader's Digest cover story, "Parent Alert: Teens & Porn," highlights Yoursphere as the first safe, smart option for wary parents.  Under a box titled, "Wanted: Peace of Mind," the author writes:

"Your kids are savvy enough to delete the recent history of their Internet use from their computers.

Yoursphere.com is a social networking site that restricts membership to kids and teens ("creepers," adults trawling for teens, are sussed out and barred) and monitors bullying."

Check it out at newsstands (and waiting rooms) today.

Mary Kay has been all over the news lately (highlighted by her beautiful rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream"). Seriously, April saw her interviewed by CNN Espanol, which will be aired mid-May, and television stations from San Diego to Boston and nearly everywhere in between. Mary Kay also appeared on The Daily Buzz which is syndicated to 148 TV stations, and the cable show Daytime, aired on over 90 stations throughout the U.S.  Factor in her radio work in dozens of states and Mary Kay's reach resembles that of Howard Stern or Swine Flu (although much more pleasant!)  Those of you in north Florida can check her out May 19 at 3 PM on WHJX-FM in Jacksonville.

What It Means To Be Approved By Privo

Yoursphere not only meets government standards for protecting children online, we exceed them. In fact, you've may have read that Yoursphere is "approved by Privacy Vaults Online Safe Harbor of the Federal Trade Commission."   What exactly does that mean? Let us explain.

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) was established by Congress in 1998 to help protect children's private information from falling into the wrong hands. Requiring websites that cater to youth (specifically, children under 13) to post notice of their information collection practices and obtain parental consent before collecting, disseminating, or disclosing any child's personal information, COPPA is implemented by the Federal Trade Commission.  The FTC added the Safe Harbor Program to recognize websites demonstrating a deeper commitment to protecting children. As part of the Safe Harbor Program, in 2004 the FTC approved Privacy Vaults Online (Privo, Inc.), as the first and only identity solutions provider and independent certifier of companies' compliance with children's online privacy laws.

After an extensive review by Privo, Inc., Yoursphere.com was recognized and approved as a uniquely safe site for kids. Thus, Yoursphere.com is compliant with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Safe Harbor Certification guidelines, and we are proud to say we are the only youth social networking site to earn Privo Safe Harbor certification. To do so Yoursphere was subjected to a comprehensive review of our site pages, processes and procedures with regard to our ability protect enrolled children. Some specific review elements included an overall site review and COPPA compliance assessment; and rigorous reviews of our privacy policy; terms of use; and registration process. In addition, Yoursphere was made to demonstrate that we have the processes and infrastructure in place to securely maintain the confidentiality, security and integrity of the information collected from children and their parents.

In short, we at Yoursphere take the utmost care in providing the safest online experience possible. And the fact that Yoursphere.com is Privo, Inc., certified means that we don't just believe we manage one of the safest networking sites for children yet possible--it means the only independent, federally-supported clearinghouse agrees.

Snap It! Winner

Check out the striking image Rae entered in our snap-what-you-love photo contest! As winner, she also bullseyed $50.

Weekly Contests Heat Up!

Each Monday Yoursphere hosts a new contest.  This week, it's "What Am I?"
The first member to identify the zoomed in picture wins a nail polish kit. Every week we run a new contest, with prizes for girls or boys or both.

Young Writer's Contest II

Yoursphere is looking for the next Anna Quindlen!  That's right, we're looking to add to our stable of curious and sharp writers, who channel the youth pulse, help shape the site and get Yoursphere members talking and thinking online.  Contest details will be announced shortly, so tell your kids to stay tuned!

Parent Forum Welcomes Your Input

How much do you know about cyberbullying?  Take this test and find out!  It's from Yoursphere's parent-only forum, a completely separate entity from Yoursphere.com that aims to answer your questions about Yoursphere and Internet safety in general, and provide a nexus for parents like you to share experiences with other adults.  It's also a place to listen in as Yoursphere team members blog about tech issues, site news, and all the other intriguing questions that make what we are doing here so unique.  Once you can identify such behavior, should a few snarky comments qualify as cyberbullying?  How/where do you draw the line?  Mary Kay wrestled with the subject recently right here.

Inside The Sphere: Dreams  

From the Academics sphere, Yoursphere Contributing Writer Heather encourages members to record and interpret their dreams: 

Everyone dreams, every night, many times each night. It is a way we sort out problems, process information, and deal with events in our daily lives. Dreams are a safe outlet for suppressed emotions, and give people the chance to play out different scenarios about their lives in a safe environment. In this way, dreams can give insight about yourself, if you can figure out how to interpret them correctly.

It's OK if you can't remember all the specifics about your dream, that's totally normal. Waking up in the morning, try to think back on any bold symbols or feelings that were in your dream. Try to remember what your dream was about. Where were you? Were you running away from something? Were you scared? Were you trying to find something, like a piece of clothing or a person? If you can remember even a few of these things, you can gain insight on yourself through your dreaming.

If you are able to recall anything from your dream, jot it down so you don't forget. To help you figure out the symbols and themes of your dreams, trying looking them up in some of the dream dictionaries linked [for members logged in at Yoursphere.com].  Once you find some common interpretations to your dreams, it's up to you to decide which interpretations apply to you personally. Basically, which meaning feels right to you?

I know, there is no easy method to figure out what your dreams mean to you personally, and what they are trying to teach you. The best technique to get an accurate analysis is to look at possible meanings behind the symbols in your dreams, and decide which feels right to you and applies to your life.

Introducing Yoursphere's Internet Safety Newsletter

As we all know, the Internet enriches our lives in many ways, but can also be a dangerous tool if not properly managed.   With this in mind, Yoursphere is launching a monthly newsletter to educate parents like you about the latest developments kids face in the increasingly complicated online world. Free to all Yoursphere member parents, the Internet Safety newsletter offers common sense tips and advice to help keep you and your children safe online.  Here's an excerpt from our upcoming issue.

Be Aware Of Cyberbullying¹

Your child may be uncomfortable talking about cyberbullying, or afraid to broach the subject at all.  Here are some cyberbullying prevention and management ideas you might want to share with them.

• Don't  respond. If someone bullies you, remember that your reaction is usually exactly what the bully wants. It gives him or her power over you. Who wants to empower a bully?
• Don't retaliate. Getting back at the bully turns you into one and reinforces the bully's behavior. Help avoid a whole cycle of aggression.

  Save the evidence. The only good news about digital bullying is that the harassing messages can usually be captured, saved, and shown to someone who can help. You need to do this even if it's minor stuff, in case things escalate.

• Talk to a trusted adult. You deserve backup. It's always good to involve a parent but - if you can't - a school counselor usually knows how to help. Sometimes both are needed. If you're really nervous about saying something, see if there's a way to report the incident anonymously at school.
• Block the bully. If the harassment's coming in the form of instant messages, texts, or profile comments, do yourself a favor: Use preferences or privacy tools to block the person. If it's in chat, leave the "room."
• Be civil. Even if you don't like someone, it's a good idea to be decent and not sink to the other person's level. Also, research shows that gossiping about and trash talking others increases your risk of being bullied. Treat people the way you want to be treated.
• Don't be a bully. How would you feel if someone harassed you? You know the old saying about walking a mile in someone's shoes; even a few seconds of thinking about how another person might feel can put a big damper on aggression. That's needed in this world.
• Be a friend, not a bystander. Watching or forwarding mean messages empowers bullies and hurts victims even more. If you can, tell bullies to stop or let them know harassment makes people look stupid and mean. It's time to let bullies know their behavior is unacceptable - cruel abuse of fellow human beings. If you can't stop the bully, at least try to help the victim and report the behavior.

¹ Thanks to connectsafely.org for the above information.

We Sphere: Meet The Folks Behind Yoursphere

Anne Easterling, Online Relationship Marketer

Yoursphere's resident Imagineer, Anne is dedicated to making the Yoursphere user experience smooth yet fun.  Always on hand to explain the arcane, Anne also serves as a sort of Skype-mounted Rosetta stone, deciphering the technical elements of our business for some of the not-so-technical members of the Yoursphere team. 

Anne holds a journalism degree from the University of North Texas and has worked as a news reporter, teacher, communications director, non-profit manager and publisher and web developer.  Her list of favorite life experiences include visiting all four Disney World theme parks in one exhilarating (and, we assume, Advil-intensive) day.

Anne and her husband live in Austin, TX.

Thank you for continuing to entrust Yoursphere with your child's online experience, and helping "raise the bar" for online social networking,

Mary Kay Hoal & The Yoursphere Team