INTRODUCTION
Wow, we bet you are wondering why in the world anyone would title a book, Are Your Kids Naked Online? Well, it did grab your attention, right? Just the word “naked” invokes a head-turning reaction with pretty much everyone, no matter what your political or religious beliefs. Everyone from all walks of life knows the basic meaning of “naked,” which is unclothed or bare. In addition, in the world we live in today, just about everyone has heard of someone, whether it’s a friend’s child, a family member’s child, a co-worker’s child, or some celebrity, having nude photos show up online, whether intentional or leaked.
However, naked means more than just “unclothed.” Some of the synonyms for naked are: unprotected, uncovered, exposed, unguarded, vulnerable, helpless, weak, powerless, defenseless, and open to attack.
This book is about much more than naked photos of your children showing up online. When we say “naked online,” we are also referring to the following:
• Naked—Ignorant: Not knowledgeable about the real dangers
when it comes to social media, chats, the dark web, and online
gaming
• Naked—Defenseless: No protective mechanisms in place to help
prevent or detect problems, both physical (monitoring tools,
parental controls) and mental
• Naked—Unprotected: Parent or other adults not involved and
engaged in teaching, positive communication, ongoing dialogue,
and support
• Naked—Vulnerable: Sharing private information that can
endanger their lives and possibly even expose them to predators
• Naked—Powerless: Feeling like there is nowhere to go when
something is wrong and that their parents will just yell and
scream at them
• Naked—Helpless: Feeling like no one would understand them
and they would be judged by the adults in their lives for their
carelessness
• Naked—Unguarded: Not able to see the consequences or
think of the long-term consequences of their decisions
• Naked—Bare: Sending inappropriate photos, videos, or text
messages that can open them up to criminal charges, predators,
and sex trafficking
Most children today know more than their parents when it comes to technology. However, just because they are tech-savvy doesn’t mean they are wise. The majority of kids today are young and immature. If we are all honest, we will remember that when we were young, we weren’t all that “wise” either. Lisa Good, one of the authors of this book, recently gave a speech at NASDAQ where she talked about drag racing when she was sixteen years old and having her car taken away and sold. That sounds crazy and reckless, right? Yes, it was—especially for someone who was an “A” student, never got in trouble, and didn’t “break” the rules. Even the smartest, most “mature” kids make some unwise decisions. It comes with the territory of being a child. Sometimes their emotions get the best of them, like what happened with Lisa, or just the lack of age that brings experience and wisdom gets the best of them. But in the online digital world we live in today, those emotions and mistakes can have life altering repercussions. The stakes are high.
Why in the world did we write this book? After all, we work with businesses managing their computer networks, security, and technology infrastructure; consulting on new technology projects; providing compliance and security audits; minimizing their technology risk; and protecting their technology assets. We aren’t psychologists or school counselors.