Testimonials
Schools, organizations, and students rave about Internet Safety Presenter Jesse Weinberger
“Big Mama, you’re right, I’m going to cut my device time and eat more dirt. My mom needs to do everything you say – she has no idea what’s really going on.”
“I have been a technology professional for 20 years and I thought I had a good understanding of what it meant to be safe on the internet. Jesse opened my eyes. Whether you are a technology novice or a so called expert, you will learn something that you will start applying immediately. ”
“Please accept our sincere appreciation for your outstanding presentation. Your session was a huge hit with the SRO and DARE officers. It was informative, funny, and irreverent, all the right ingredients for law enforcement. Since I’m from New Jersey I could really relate to your comments about your parents who were not big believers in coddling their children. Thank you for speaking to our group and sharing your time and talent to instruct so many of our school law enforcement.”
“Thank you for what you do. We needed this information to be drilled into us from the start. We didn’t know what we were doing.”
“This is the best presentation I’ve heard all year. I’ve learned so much it’s amazing. Thank you! PS You are very entertaining too. 🙂 ”
“Big Mama, I want to thank you – that was disturbing AND awesome all at the same time.”
“On behalf of the administration and Ramaz community, heartfelt thanks for a powerful and substantive presentation. We’re sure you have heard this countless time, but your dynamic speaking style, total command of the latest information about internet safety, and no nonsense, direct approach is such a winning combination. Cameras are being taped, apps are being deleted, parents are organizing, and the community is buzzing – all testimony to how effective you were. We couldn’t have hoped for more.”
“I sincerely thank you for coming to our community and talking to not only our children this week, but to us last night. Your message was priceless. I’m beyond grateful for the impact I saw in my 6th grade quiet son. He came home and spontaneously blurted out “Mom, I do know you love me!” My son thinks you’re great, that you’re “real”, and that he could tell that you cared. He sat down and unloaded all the anxiety he was carrying (at the age of 11) over how many of his friends are hiding apps and behavior, and that he can’t sleep sometimes because of what they tell him. Now we talk “real” every day. Thank you for all of this. My husband and I thank you!”
“Thank you very much! You were very educational and funny!”
“Jesse Weinberger is a presenter that all parents should be required to see! She tells it like it is, in a way that will scare you… in a good way! You must, must, must hear her tips on internet safety. I’m on Facebook and on Instagram… oh boy I had no idea! Jesse’s no nonsense approach and interactive delivery make this sometimes touchy subject fun and fact filled.”
“Thank you Jesse Weinberger for a fantastic Internet Safety presentation to our 4th and 6th grade Girl Scouts! You tackled the important topic of internet safety without boring the girls with statistics and sounding like a “mom”. The girls were laughing and asking questions – no small feat! I really appreciate the time you took with our group and encourage all parents to get up to speed on this important safety issue! “
“I wanted to personally thank you for your leadership while working with Kenston stakeholders this year. I was reflecting on your impact after both presentations. One of the main reasons parents showed up on Tuesday is because students clearly respect who you are and followed the orders to go home and talk to mom/or dad on what they learned. Your presentation skills are spot on, especially how you win over every audience with an authentic approach but also how you connect by sharing personal and family experiences that are real. Thanks again for your time!”
Deadly Online Challenges Part 1 of 2 – Mel Robbins Show – Feb 2020 – Blue Whale Challenge, Choking Challenge
SUMMARY:
This episode of Mel Robbins focuses on online challenges which seek to prey on children – the show features four families whose children died by suicide after playing these “games.” The daughter of the fifth family survived, after she accidentally set herself on fire in her bedroom trying to recreate a TikTok challenge.
In particular the show talks about the Blue Whale Challenge and the Choking Challenge – but other risks are discussed such as cutting, self-harm, etc.
Managing a Child’s Device Part 2 of 2 – New Day Cleveland
* Discussion on limiting app usage.
* Music.ly (now called TikTok)
* Live-streaming
* Live.ly
* Houseparty
Managing a Child’s Device – Part 1 of 2 – New Day Cleveland
Part 1 of 2: Discussing managing your child’s interaction with devices.
* Family contract, setting limits
* Saying ‘no’ to your children
* Parental complicity
Mass shootings and Internet – Security Brief TV
Appearance on (the now cancelled) day-time talk show Security Brief TV – focused on mass shootings. This segment is focused on how social media and web use may play a part of the lives of both shooter and victim. Specifically mentioned: Aurora shooting and Sandy Hook shooter.
How to protect children from online predators : WKYC – Live on Lakeside
SUMMARY:
Jesse Weinberger, author of “The Boogeyman Exists” talks about how parents can protect their children from online predators via online gaming, social networking, and via smartphones.
Yik Yak: What parents need to know to keep their children safe- Al Jazeera America Reports
SUMMARY:
Jesse Weinberger, author of “The Boogeyman Exists” talks about what parents should know about Yik Yak, a new app which is being blamed for everything from bomb threats to cases of extreme cyberbullying all over the US.
Internet Safety Resources & Downloads
The Basics
Parenting is hard. Be kind to yourself.
Here’s the bad news –
Sexual predators, online scam artists, traffickers are equal-opportunity. It makes no difference where you live, how much money you have, which schools your child attends, or how innocent you believe your children to be. A predator’s goal is to successfully reach the easiest targets. Our job is to make their access as difficult as possible.
Knowing that…
Here’s the good news –
There is a TON that parents, kids, schools, and communities can do to significantly decrease the likelihood of being targeted on digital platforms. Even small changes to the how/where/when you and your children use digital tools can make a very large impact on your overall safety. (Remember – this includes Mom and Dad making changes.)
IMPORTANT: Making changes to digital habits INCLUDES Mom and Dad. If you’re constantly projectile vomiting your ‘humble brags’ about your child, your stuff, and your life on an open forum – it might not end well. Plus nobody cares. Oh, and, stop posting about your kids on *your* social media without asking them first – they hate that. And they’re right.
Resources for Parents
Share This with your Kids: signs that Your online “friend” is probably a predator (aka creepy guy in the basement)
Wants to take you out, fantasies about taking “you away”
Compliments begin right away – the predator has never met anyone as: cool, amazing, pretty, artistic, athletic as you
Anyone who wants to separate you from people who love you – doesn’t care about you.
Which means that you literally have no idea what the truth is.
It could be a man pretending to be a woman, a woman pretending to be a man, a grown-up pretending to be a kid, a kid pretending to be a grown-up. You have no idea.
Sends you inappropriate links via DM or Chat
Offers to send you gifts – money, gift cards, etc – and tells you to lie to your parents about their source
Tells you to do what he/she says “or else”
ie claims that he/she has a scar they’re embarrassed by or some other reason can’t show face
background of their room is dark and can’t be completely seen
looks older than originally claimed
TIP: Focus on the person’s hands (hands don’t shield age well)
Prevention Tips – for Parents
Practice what you preach. If you want children to listen to you when you’re talking, then put YOUR phone down and listen to them. They’re trying to talk to you.
DO NOT post about your children on YOUR social media without your child’s permission. You may be embarrassing them publicly.Videos and photos of your young children seem harmless and adorable to you – pedophiles see your children as sexual objects.
Set all sm accounts to PRIVATE. Do not share content with the public. You’re making it easier for your children to be targeted. Plus, nobody cares what you had for dinner. None of us are that important – get over yourself.
Ring doorbell
Make sure school has a ‘white-list’ of who can pick up your child at school without your permission
Use mobile carrier tools to review which phone numbers are communicating with your child most often. Set up alerts
To learn more about the impact of devices on mental health:
Did you know the new age of onset of pornography consumption is EIGHT years old?
(FANS ONLY EPISODE) Listen to Season 01: Episode 03: Young kids are sexting and watching porn aka: Don’t dress up like a seal if you’re going surfing
Non-Fans – here is a summary of tips. Questions to ask yourself and your child….
□ Does your child have a smartphone? Was it given under 13?
□ Does your child have social media? Were the accounts created under 13?
□ Does your child have SC or TT
□ Have you gone through your child’s list of FOLLOWERS?
□ Do you personally know all of the FOLLOWERS? (Any followers you don’t know, need to go)
□ Are all of your child’s SM accounts set to private?
□ Does your child have multiple IG accounts?
□ Get a list of all your child’s social media logins and passwords. You should be able to login at any moment of
your choosing. If your child changes the password without telling you– they lose the phone
□ Have THE TALK with your child about sexting, sexual predation, etc and when you’re done – have the
conversation again. Wash. Rinse Repeat.
Resources for Schools
School administrators and educators should listen to the following episodes: