The Internet has wonders that are hard to imagine but it also has dangers you would not believe.  Here are some frightening facts from the Infragard website:

• 160,000 students a day miss school because of bullying. - Pacer.org
• 75% of children are willing to share personal information online about themselves and their family in exchange for goods and services. – eMarketer
• 77% of the targets for online predators were age 14 or older. Another 22% were users ages 10 to 13. - Crimes Against Children Research Center

For a more extensive list go to the Infragard statistics sheet.

For the third year in a row, the Infragard Honolulu Members Alliance has put on the Internet Safety Awards here in Hawaii (ISA website).  The FBI, Hawaii Department of Education and Department of Justice were also major sponsors of this endeavor along with donations of time and money from private companies like Aikea808/CyberW0rx.8o8, Hawaii Now - KFVE - KGMB - KHNL, True Digital, Torch Entertainment, Maintec, Microsoft, Federal Law Enforcement Foundation, University of Hawaii, Oceanic Time Warner Cable and many others: Sponsors.

The mission of the group is to promote awareness through the education of the potential dangers on the Internet by showcasing public service announcements (PSA) created and produced by the same group it is targeted to protect.  There were three categories for the PSA’s:

1. Cyber-bullying
2. On-line piracy and plagiarism
3. On-line predators and social network precautions

Student teams created and produced the PSA in the first half of the school year.  The PSA’s were then submitted in February to the Infragard where local experts in the field of on-line safety, video production and advertising had the difficult job of choosing the best.  There were close to 50 entries from over 200 students from schools from across the State.  The winners were announced at a funfilled, prize giving, celebrity filled ISA Gala held at Farrington High School Auditorium on April 16, 2010.  Winning PSA’s will be shown on local broadcast and cable TV channels as well highlighted on the Internet.  The first place PSA’s for each category were:

1. Cyber-bullying: 1st place: "Trash Cyberbullying", Waianae High School
2. On-line piracy and plagiarism: "That's What It Is", Roosevelt High School
3. On-line predators and social network precautions: "Do You Know Who You Are Talking To?",  Myron B. Thompson Academy
4. Best in Show: "Do You Know Who You Are Talking To?",  Myron B. Thompson Academy

To see the actual PSA’s and highlights from Gala go to: Internet Safety Award website.

This has been a wonderful endeavor which I have been lucky enough to be able to work on with a dedicated group of individuals.  I hope this contest will continue to grow and that the messages that come out of it help save many youth from mere embarrassment to even saving their life.  Lastly, avoiding the Internet and the dangers that lurk in it is not possible but through education, people will be aware of how to protect themselves and enjoy it.

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