SAN DIEGO, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- With the new "KidSpot" program,
Gateway Country stores are providing parents the opportunity to create a free
digital ID card for their children and learn about keeping the family safe
online. Gateway has partnered with the National Center for Missing &
Exploited Children (NCMEC) to develop KidSpot, which runs August 17-19 in the
nearly 300 Gateway Country stores nationwide.
In addition to digital IDs and Internet safety clinics, local law
enforcement officials will be on site in most Gateway Country stores to
provide tips for everyday safety.
"With the back-to-school season approaching, parents are seeking ways to
keep their children safe when they're away from home," said Sue Parks, senior
vice president, Gateway U.S. Markets. "The KidSpot program in our Gateway
Country stores is a resource for families to learn about and use the latest
technology to be prepared and help keep their kids safe."
Easy-to-Use Technology Can Help
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 17 - 19, Gateway technology
advisors will help families take photos of their children with a digital
camera. The original photo will then be transferred to a floppy disk. Once
they have the digital photo disk, families can go to the Gateway Country
training rooms where technology advisors will help them add name, age and
other important data that NCMEC recommends keeping on file along with the
photo ID. The on-site technology advisors also can show families how to
update the information, print out the digital ID card and email the file.
Parents leave the store with a free floppy disk containing all of their
children's identifying information, ready for quick access if necessary.
"A digital ID, with a current photo and physical description, can be
extremely helpful if a child becomes missing," said Ernie Allen, co-founder
and president of NCMEC. "A photo is the number one tool in recovering a
missing child and the information held on these IDs is the first thing that
law enforcement will ask for to begin a search."
Because NCMEC recommends updating this information every six months,
Gateway Country stores will hold KidSpot events regularly to help families
keep their digital ID file in order.
Parents and Internet Safety
The KidSpot program will also shine a light on Internet safety. Child
safety experts, including the NCMEC, say that parents who are familiar with
PCs and the Internet are in a better position to protect children from
uncomfortable experiences online.
"As simple as this may sound, we know from focus groups we've conducted
that parents and kids aren't communicating," said Allen. "Our message for
parents is this: Get involved in your children's lives. Learn what they're
doing online and off, talk with them and listen to them, set limits and
monitor what they do."
In a survey of 300 families commissioned by Gateway in March 2001, parents
underestimated -- almost by half -- the frequency with which their children
had uncomfortable experiences when using the Internet.
"By hosting free clinics about Internet safety in our local communities,
we're hoping to help parents understand the best thing they can do to protect
their kids when they're online is to open a dialogue about online safety and
keep it going," said Parks. "We're always here to help -- in addition to
these special free clinics, Gateway Country stores offer hands-on learning
throughout the year with a course entitled 'Guiding Your Kids Through the
Internet.'"
For more information on the Gateway KidSpot program, please visit
http://www.gateway.com/home/programs/kidzone.shtml. The NCMEC Web site
(http://www.missingkids.com) offers additional materials on child safety including
online safety and child protection tips.
NCMEC Top 5 Guidelines for Keeping Kids Safe Online
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children recommends the
following Internet safety guidelines:
* Teach your children to never give out identifying information -- home
address, school name, or telephone number -- in a public message such
as chat or bulletin boards.
* Get to know the Internet and any services your child uses.
* Set reasonable rules and guidelines for computer use by your children.
Discuss these rules and post them near the computer as a reminder
(visit http://www.missingkids.com for a suggested list.)
* Check out blocking and filtering options.
* Be sure to make Internet usage a family activity. Consider keeping the
computer in the family room rather than the child's bedroom.
About Gateway
Gateway (NYSE: GTW), ranked 194 on the Fortune 500(R), focuses on building
lifelong relationships with consumers, small and medium businesses and
government and education institutions by helping customers meet all their
technology needs. Founded in 1985, Gateway is considered the most admired
American company in the Computers and Office Equipment industry according to a
Fortune Magazine survey (1) and is the top brand in customer loyalty and for
first-time home computer purchases of Wintel-based PCs (2). The company had
total global revenue of $9.6 billion in 2000. For more information, visit our
Web site at http://www.gateway.com.
(1) Fortune Magazine, "America's Most Admired Companies,"
February 19, 2001.
(2) From the Harris Interactive Consumer TechPoll(SM) study of 140,000 PC
owners who use the Internet, released March 5, 2001.
SOURCE Gateway
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Related links:
http://www.gateway.com
CONTACT:
Media, Cory Baker of Gateway,
+1-858-799-3783, cory.baker@gateway.com
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