Internet Safety @ the Consumer Electronics Show

Last week, I was a panel moderator for Kids at Play Summit, a unique section of the annual Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas. The show is the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow and this year it featured consumer technology products in 30 categories with more than 2,700 exhibitors showing their wares.

Just the fact that there is a unique Kids at Play section of the conference is a testament to the growing interest in providing a richer and safer online experience for youth, and to the steadfast determination of Robin Raskin the creator of this event.

The technologies available to youth today far surpass what was available even a year ago and while some are merely for entertainment, many are designed to educate, empower and enlarge the world in which kids live.

Companies are hearing the concerns of parents and regulators regarding the safety of internet services, particularly those that target minors, and many are stepping up to provide greater safety functionality, include better safety information and improve the ability of parents to interact with their children online.

There is still a long way to go before we’ve created the environment that needs to be in place, but great strides are happening as the presentations and demonstrations at CES clearly demonstrated.

To learn more about the products demonstrated at the Kids at Play summit check out Robin’s blog. I will be reviewing some of these products for you over the next several months. Also check back on the Kids at Play Summit site in a week to watch videos of the panel sessions (the session I moderated will be posted on ilookbothways.com as well as soon as it is available.)

Linda