Spy Parent » Sedgrid Lewis http://spyparent.net You Need to Know Fri, 29 Nov 2013 16:54:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8 Sharkeisha Twitter Tribe Engage in Crowd Source Bullying http://spyparent.net/blog/sharkeisha-twitter-tribe-engage-in-crowd-source-bullying/ http://spyparent.net/blog/sharkeisha-twitter-tribe-engage-in-crowd-source-bullying/#comments Fri, 29 Nov 2013 16:45:10 +0000 http://spyparent.net/?p=1697 #sharkeisha is the face of crowd source bullying. Crowd source bullying is when a bully attacks their victim and the attack is uploaded to social media sites that continue the victimization through soliciting memes, vines, and hurtful comments. Over the past 72 hours Sharkeisha has become an overnight internet sensation based upon her sucker punch of another female. The video below shows the attack.

After the attack was uploaded to popular hip hop site World Star Hip Hop, countless memes appeared on Twitter. This memes pokes fun at Chris Brown and Rhianna domestic abuse incident.

The crowd source bullying moved from Twitter to Vine. There were several vines made within hours. Here is one that sets the entire incident to music.

The crowd source bullying continued on Thanksgiving. Sharkeisha’s Twitter Tribe used Thanksgiving hashtags to glorify Sharkeisha’s fight. The Twitter Tribe gave thanks to Sharkeisha as a joke. There are rumors that Sharkeisha’s victim may have committed suicide. The countless submissions of tweets, memes, vines, has the potential of leading the victim to self harm.

Parents have to promote digital citizenship in their household. Young people have to stand up for the victim and denounce this type of behavior on social media sites. Once teens like Sharkeisha realize that this type of behavior is socially unacceptable crowd source bullying will decrease.

]]> http://spyparent.net/blog/sharkeisha-twitter-tribe-engage-in-crowd-source-bullying/feed/ 0 Protect Your Child: Playstation 4 Plagued by Porn http://spyparent.net/blog/protect-your-child-playstation-4-plagued-by-porn/ http://spyparent.net/blog/protect-your-child-playstation-4-plagued-by-porn/#comments Mon, 25 Nov 2013 20:41:27 +0000 http://spyparent.net/?p=1680 The Playstation 4 has only been on the shelves for over a week but is already under siege by the porn industry. Porn sites and live strip shows have already targeted the popular console. Last week popular porn tube site Pornhub announced support for the Playstation 4 by allowing easy access to their catalog of free porn. In an interview with the online gaming magazine NoobFeed, Pornhub Vice President Corey Price discusses the time his company put into the development of Playtstation 4 support:

Our development team worked long and hard to fully support video playback on the PS4 browser. There were many hurdles to overcome, specifically with the PS4’s lack of flash support. Our team needed to find ways around this to deliver fast, streaming video and thus being able to give our users the option of using PS4 for all their Pornhub needs! This wasn’t an easy endeavor, but we put a lot of time into it as we felt it was very important and are proud to support our browser use on the system.

Today the popular streaming site Twitch has come under fire due to people using the Playstation app Playroom and the Playstation eye add on to broadcast sex shows. Game revolution reported a story over the weekend regarding a man that was exposing his wife’s breasts. Through the playroom app, the man lifted up his wife’s shirt several times and eventually stripped her naked while streaming the entire sequence on Twitch. Twitch is currently warning users through social media that all accounts that broadcast non gaming video will be banned and deleted from the service.

Parents must be vigilant in monitoring the Playstation 4 to ensure that their children are not targets of the porn and sex industry. Here are three ways to ensure that your child can’t access porn intentionally or accidentally:

Ban Twitch- Although Twitch is banning users that post non gaming content, parents should still block this service until better filtering software is developed to prevent sex and nudity.

Shut the Eye- Do not purchase the Playstation eye for your child’s Playstation 4. This prevents your child from recording and streaming inappropriate content. If your child already has the eye add on, then ensure that the camera is used in the presence of adults.

Parental control- Sony’s Playstation site has a dedicated page on how to enable parental controls on the Playstation 4. Parents can block the web browser, chat feature, and other features of the console. Parents should set parental controls prior to giving the console to their children.

These three steps will allow your child to enjoy the new console and also give you a peace of mind that porn will not be streaming live in your living room.

]]> http://spyparent.net/blog/protect-your-child-playstation-4-plagued-by-porn/feed/ 0 The Knockout Game: Real Life Grand Theft Auto http://spyparent.net/sizzler/the-knockout-game-real-life-grand-theft-auto/ http://spyparent.net/sizzler/the-knockout-game-real-life-grand-theft-auto/#comments Mon, 18 Nov 2013 03:55:04 +0000 http://spyparent.net/?p=1663 The knockout game aka The One Hitter Quitter is the deadly game that African American teenagers are playing across the nation. It is the true life version of the popular video game Grand Theft Auto (GTA). The knockout game involves a group of teenagers seeking out a helpless victim on the street to knockout with one punch. One of the teens from the group strikes the knockout blow to the victim within a matter of seconds which prevent the victim from protecting themselves. There have been numerous knockout assaults in New York, New Jersey, Saint Louis, Washington D.C., and other cities.  The video below gives gruesome detail of the game.

The teens in the interview seem to be desensitized to the violence. Most of them are smiling and giggling during the interview. This seems normal and rational in their world. Video games such as GTA has desensitized teens to this level of violence. One could argue that teens playing the knockout game are mimicking the knockouts from GTA. A recent study indicates that teens that play mature rated violent games try to enact the violence from the characters in the game. Here is an example of a GTA knockout compilation. Look how similar the knockouts resemble the recent knockout game incidents.

Knockouts are one of the most hyped features of GTA 1-GTA5. There are dozens of YouTube videos teaching teens how to perfect their knockouts in the video game. GTA has come under pressure in the past due to teens acting out the video games scenes in real life. There have been several grand theft auto inspired murders over the years. Comedian and activist Bill Cosby linked GTA to a prep course for prison.

A Study Released by Pew Research indicates that black teens from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are playing games with video violence at large numbers. This is contributed to parents who don’t have a clue about the violence in these games. Parents are purchasing GTA for their underage teens while ignoring the mature labels. African American teens are playing games like GTA in large numbers. There are several African American criminal characters that are prominent in GTA. Criminal fictional video characters become role models for so many African American teens that lack role models in their families and community.

Parents will have to step up their monitoring of these games to ensure that teens do not mimic the behavior in GTA in real life. Play the games without the presence of your child to get a feel for the game and to determine the level of violence. Conduct Youtube searches to view other teens playing the games to determine if it is appropriate for your child. Visit gaming forums or public forums such as Reddit to see how the game is being discussed by other teens.

The community will also have to step up and resolve these deadly issues. The Toy Gun Buy Back program is a great example in St. Louis. Pastors are allowing parents to bring in violent video games and guns in exchange for non violent games, building sets, and other craft like toys. It’s these types of programs that will go a long way in stopping the violence.

]]> http://spyparent.net/sizzler/the-knockout-game-real-life-grand-theft-auto/feed/ 2 Toddler Tag Child Locator Review http://spyparent.net/blog/uncategorized/toddler-tag-child-locator-review/ http://spyparent.net/blog/uncategorized/toddler-tag-child-locator-review/#comments Tue, 29 Oct 2013 01:18:50 +0000 http://spyparent.net/?p=1626 Every parent has been at the mall or grocery store and frighten to death due to the little one wanting to explore his or her surroundings. We all have had that moment talking to our friends on our smart phone while little Mark has decided to explore the next aisle over in the toy store. Luckily for parents, Brickhouse Security is providing parents a piece of mind with the Toddler Tag. The Toddler Tag is a two way notification system that alert parents when their toddlers have wandered off. There is a receiver that attaches to the child and a parent transmitter that doubles as a key chain. Parents can push an alert on the transmitter to locate their toddler or set an alert for the receiver to chirp once the toddler is more than 30 feet away.

There are similar child locators on the market to the Toddler Tag that take the shape of various animals. We wanted to test the Toddler Tag at an outdoor event to determine the effectiveness of the product. The Annual Elijay Apple Festival was our choice of venue. The apple festival was chosen because of the number of attendees and its location in the North GA mountains to test any frequency issues.

Range

We tested the range of the toddler tag with our 5 year old whom the device was placed on her belt. Per the manufacture’s instructions, the alert feature did chirp around 30 feet away. Unlike similar devices, there were no false alarms or chirps with the unit that was supplied by Brickhouse Security. The range was also tested within a house to determine if walls or wifi would cause interference. By walking to a part of the house that was over 30 feet, the alarm went off without any problems.

Alarm

The manufacture states that the alarm can be heard at 56db with the push of the alert button. When our 5 year old had reached 30 feet, we could hear the chirp from the receiver attached to her belt. This is important because their were lots of people and music being played during the festival. The alert is definetly loud enough to alert parents of the location of their child and scare away potential predators. It is important to note that their are competitive products that claim their alert being from 80-90db.

Wearability

They key to child locators is whether or not the child will wear the device or take it off. Originally, I was of the opinion that the Toddler Tag was at a competitive disadvantage because the device is not molded into a cute teddy bear or bug. After using the product, I think that the Toddler Tag may be at an advantage. Most kids will not see this device as a toy therefore they will be less incline to take it off and play with it. Kids will treat the Toddler tag as a device that is placed on them by their parents.

The Toddler Tag can be placed on a shoe, belt, or placed in a book bag. Due to the size of the Toddler Tag, we recommend that the Tag be placed on a belt. It may be a litle too big for a toddler’s shoe. Belle is a picture of the device on my 5 year old.

Durability

The Toddler Tag is made of hard plastic that is not easy to damage or take apart. Brickhouse earns marks by creating a product that toddlers will not be able to destroy. The Toddler Tag is also water resistant in case you are caught out in the rain or the little one jumps in a puddle. Additionally, there are no small pieces which prevents any choking.

The Toddler Tag is perfect for toddlers due to its durability. Our test at the Apple Festival proved that the alarm works in a busy and noisy environment. Test of the range was flawless without any false alarms. Spy parent recommends this product for toddlers.

]]> http://spyparent.net/blog/uncategorized/toddler-tag-child-locator-review/feed/ 2 Text Bomb! New Tool for Cyberbullies http://spyparent.net/reviews/text-bomb-new-tool-for-cyberbullies/ http://spyparent.net/reviews/text-bomb-new-tool-for-cyberbullies/#comments Sun, 13 Oct 2013 14:12:34 +0000 http://spyparent.net/?p=1602 One technique that cyber bullies use to torment their victims is text bombing. A text bomb is when a user sends a text 1,000 to 10,000 times in the same day. The victim of the bomb has to endure receiving the same degrading text throughout the day. Here is a user from the Popular site Reddit that gives details on how they text bombed their boss.

“I purchased an older android phone and a T-Mobile prepaid sim with a month’s worth of unlimited texting. One Monday morning at about three AM I fired up the phone and started up a texting app I have. It will send the same message as many times as you want. I typed “Thanks for using winafreeipadtoday.com you just entered to win a free iPad! This entry will cost $1 and will be charged to your cell phone bill.” I set the app to send the message 4,000 times. I plugged the phone in and went to bed. After I got up I set it to send the same message 10,000 more times. Over the next month I sent that guy about 40,000 messages. It completely wrecked his old blackberry and he was unable to do anything with his new phone until he blocked text messaging. I can just imagine the fear when he checked his phone bill for charges.”

Text bombers use apps fom various websites and the Android Market (Google Play). Below are the top apps used by text bombers

SMS BOMBER (Android)- App allows you to send a text to the user at anytime.

SMS BARRAGE- Banned from the Google App store due to malicious text bombing. The developer is hosting the apk file on his site and continually updating it. App allows you to send 100 text messages at one time to one user.

TEXT BOMB ELITE (Apple Android)- Send 1000 text messages at one time to your enemy.

There are multiple apps on Google Play and Itunes that will block text bombers. Here are some of our personal favorites:

TEXT BOMB DEFENDER (Android)- It runs in the background of your cell phone while blocking all unwanted texts. The best thing is that it prevents your carrier for accepting text bombs which prevents unwanted charges.

ANTI SMS BOMB (Android)- App will block repeated texts from the same number. App file is also very small which will save your battery from being drained.

NUMBER COP (Iphone)- One of the best spam protection apps for the Iphone. It blocks all spam and fishing texts from your phone.

]]> http://spyparent.net/reviews/text-bomb-new-tool-for-cyberbullies/feed/ 3 Real Strike App: Augmented Reality App for School Shooters http://spyparent.net/blog/uncategorized/real-strike-app/ http://spyparent.net/blog/uncategorized/real-strike-app/#comments Sun, 13 Oct 2013 13:58:42 +0000 http://spyparent.net/?p=1611 Augmented apps was just a buzz word for geeky 3D apps until a Louisiana teen brought them to the forefront. The high school student was arrested a month ago for using the app Real Strike to simulate gunning down his fellow students.

Real Strike is an IOS game that utilizes the mobile phone to create a virtual shoot out. The app superimposes big guns over the camera’s live feed to give the real life feel of shooting someone. Check out the video below:

The report is he conducted the virtual massacre in response to school bullying. The teen uploaded the shooting video to Youtibe which alarmed parents. They later called law enforcement to report the issue.

The problem with augmented apps is the line between reality and fantasy. Parents make sure to add augmented shooting apps to your list of apps to monitor

]]> http://spyparent.net/blog/uncategorized/real-strike-app/feed/ 0 Cosplay Bullying: How to Stop It http://spyparent.net/sizzler/cosplay-bullying/ http://spyparent.net/sizzler/cosplay-bullying/#comments Wed, 07 Aug 2013 02:16:24 +0000 http://spyparent.net/?p=1585 All across the world comic conventions are taking place during this time of the year. Fans pay homage to their favorite characters through cosplay. Cosplay is short for costume play which is the formal attire for most comic cons. Something that cosplay is getting a lot of attention for is bullying.

Cosplay bullying is increasing across the US especially among females. Since a lot of cosplay involves anime characters, females are bullying each other over whether or not their body is similar to the anime character that they are going to cosplay. Before we go further, we need to explore anime. Anime is the Japanese term for animation. Japaniese animation or anime feature characters that are either hand drawn or computer generated that display vibrant characters with beautiful color design and themes. Female action characters usually wear bikinis to flaunt their figures. In America, anime consumption is dominated by young males. Thus, anime illustrators target this demographic by designing characters that cater to male sexual fantasies.

Young females cosplay their favorite comic and anime characters at comic conferences. It is the communication post comic cons that leads to the bullying. Teens in particular post pics of cosplay on Facebook and tumblr to make fun at females they perceive to have the wrong figure for a certain anime character. The character Yoko has caused a lot of controversy.

Any girl that does not mirror the figure of Yoko receives criticism and hate from peers. Teenagers have reported that they are constantly taunted if their thighs are too skinny. One teen reported in regards to Yoko:
“you dont have the right body type to cosplay yoko” has been said to me in regards to my thighs, but i dont think they are big or anything”

When it comes to teenagers, as parents we have to ensure that our girls are self confident in their image. We need to discuss cosplay with them to weigh the pros and cons of cosplaying certain characters. Cosplay has become a big issue on tumblr, yahoo questions, and other message boards. Teens are reaching out to each other to problem solve how to bring up cosplay to their parents. As parents, lets take the lead and have the conversation first to increase our daughter’s self esteem which in the end will protect them against cosplay bullying

]]> http://spyparent.net/sizzler/cosplay-bullying/feed/ 0 Smack Cam: Face of Sibling Bullying http://spyparent.net/blog/uncategorized/smack-cam-face-of-sibling-bullying/ http://spyparent.net/blog/uncategorized/smack-cam-face-of-sibling-bullying/#comments Mon, 05 Aug 2013 15:19:27 +0000 http://spyparent.net/?p=1579 Once a rite of passage, sibling bullying is now considered more harmful than schoolyard bullying. Sibling bullying is defined as consistent targeted physical and emotional abuse towards one sibling. According to experts, sibling bullying happens 5 times more than domestic violence.

Social media has intensified sibling bullying through apps such as Vine and Instagram. Videotaping 6 seconds of abuse is enough to solicit laughs and entertainment. Young people are using these apps to create instant America Most Funniest Videos. Nothing demonstrates this more than the new viral craze “smack cam”. Smack cam is where kids record 6 second videos of them slapping another youth or sibling in the face.

Parents need to step up and put an end to sibling bullying. There has to be a change in mindset that sibling bullying is not a right of passage.

1. Label it as bullying- Parents have to identify this behavior as bullying. Let your kids know that bullying will not be allowed in the house

2.Consequence the behavior-Take away the car keys, cell phones, tv, etc to send a message.

3. Get help- If con-sequencing does not work then you need to seek professional help. The perpetrator may be dealing with emotional and mental health issues that need to be addressed.

]]> http://spyparent.net/blog/uncategorized/smack-cam-face-of-sibling-bullying/feed/ 0 New Teen Craze: Smoking Alcohol http://spyparent.net/blog/substance-abuse/new-teen-craze-smoking-alcohol/ http://spyparent.net/blog/substance-abuse/new-teen-craze-smoking-alcohol/#comments Wed, 24 Jul 2013 05:29:56 +0000 http://spyparent.net/?p=1552 The new teen craze smoking alcohol is all over twitter and YouTube. Smoking alcohol consists of pouring alcohol over dry ice or using a pump to create a vapor from the alcohol that can be inhaled. The danger is that the vapors according to medical experts is the equivalent of a teen binge drinking 4-5 cups of alcohol.

Normally the body gets rid of alcohol through vomiting when the user drinks too much. Consuming alcohol through inhaling vapors prevents the brain from releasing excess alcohol which is very dangerous. According to medical experts, smoking alcohol can lead to alcohol poisoning and death. There are also indications that smoking alcohol can damage your lungs.

Vine videos are popping up all over the place showing smoking alcohol is popular at teen parties.

The issue for parents is that teens believe that smoking alcohol is a covert way of getting drunk without smelling like alcohol. Females also view it as a way of getting drunk without gaining calories.

Although alcohol is being consumed by smoke, current detection measures still work. Standard Urine tests will detect the use of alcohol in the blood screen. Home Breathalyzer will also detect if your teen is consuming alcohol through smoke.

]]> http://spyparent.net/blog/substance-abuse/new-teen-craze-smoking-alcohol/feed/ 1 Tampax on the Rocks! New Teen Craze http://spyparent.net/blog/uncategorized/tampax-on-the-rocks-new-teen-craze/ http://spyparent.net/blog/uncategorized/tampax-on-the-rocks-new-teen-craze/#comments Sun, 30 Jun 2013 17:32:22 +0000 http://spyparent.net/?p=1536 A teenage girl in Murica Spain this week collapsed after soaking a half liter of vodka into a Tampax Tampon. The teens called it Tampax on the rocks.

Teens are soaking tampons in alcohol and inserting them in their vagina or rectum in the case of boys. This tactic leads to the alcohol going directly into the blood stream. By using a tampon instead of drinking alcohol, teens can hide the odor from their parents and the police. This new craze increases the risk of teens driving under the influence.

We went to the twitterverse to see what teens are saying on this subject.

Lets go to Spyparent Tv to take a look at this new craze

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