Cox Convenes 5th National Teen Summit On Internet Safety

ATLANTA, June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) will hold their 5^th National Teen Summit On Internet Safety on June 15 in Washington, D.C., gathering teens from across the country to discuss online safety issues including cyberbullying, sexting and the potential long-term impact of social media posts on digital reputation.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100610/CL18789 )

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100610/CL18789 )

"America's Most Wanted" host and children's advocate John Walsh will lead the discussion at the event, which is sponsored by Cox in partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). Well-known social media expert, James Andrews, co-founder of social media communications firm, Everywhere, is serving as a guest panelist.  Andrews is an internationally-respected digital thought leader and a frequent contributor on CNN. Both Walsh and Andrews are parents of teenaged sons.

For the first time, Cox will stream the Teen Summit live over the Internet beginning at 9:30 am. Online participants such as child advocates and mommy bloggers are encouraged to listen in on the Summit at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/coxteensummit and join the dialogue on Twitter using the hash tag #cox4teensafety; the panel will field tweeted questions.

In conjunction with the Summit, Cox and NCMEC also sponsor an annual survey of teens to gauge the online behavior of young people. This year's survey paid particular interest to teens' understanding of the potential long-term consequences of social media communications for their digital reputations; full results from the survey will be released on the day of the Summit.

Preliminary results from the survey show that more than 80 percent of teens surveyed believe what they post online could impact their personal reputation. Despite this understanding, however, teens continue to engage in risky behavior online. For example, 50 percent of those surveyed said they have posted a fake age online and 38 percent have become social network friends with someone they don't know.

"During the past five years, Cox's surveys and our frank discussions with teens at the Summit have become benchmarks for understanding teen online behavior," said Walsh.  "We have witnessed a dramatic increase in teen online access both in the home and via sophisticated wireless devices, the rise of social networking, the migration of bullying to online forums and even the careless exchange of sexually suggestive texts (sexts). But the surveys and summits have shown that one thing has not changed: education is the key.  Parents need to be more vigilant than ever in monitoring their children's online activity; they must strive to create an open dialogue with their kids both for their protection and for their future success."

The National Teen Summit on Internet Safety is an extension of Cox Communications'  Take Charge! initiative, which helps parents, guardians and kids make smarter media decisions.  Through the program, Cox provides scores of resources to help parents and guardians manage what their children see, and don't see, on TV and the Internet, including instructions on setting parental controls, a guide to the lingo teens use online, and tips for more constructive conversations between parents and kids. Thanks in part to Cox's partnership with NetSmartz, an educational program from NCMEC, Cox has donated more than $30 million worth of advertising time to NetSmartz and NCMEC to encourage safer online behavior among children.  

About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  Since it was established by Congress in 1984, the organization has operated the toll-free 24-hour national missing children's hotline which has handled more than 2,475,300 calls.  It has assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more than 151,300 children.  The organization's CyberTipline has handled more than 894,700 reports of child sexual exploitation and its Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed and analyzed more than 34,566,000 pornography images and videos.  The organization works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.  To learn more about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com.

About Cox Communications

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and wireless services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves more than 6 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising.

Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For seven years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; for five years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity, and the company holds a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

SOURCE Cox Communications

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