December 2010 Parent Newsletter

Happy Holidays!

'Tis the season to give, so it's only right that we give parents their monthly dose of Yoursphere news! 

This month we've got new contests and contest winners, some useful holiday shopping tips, and a couple Yoursphere promotional deals to help parents out during the holidays.

 

Internet Safety Topics Mary Kay shows parents how to safeguard their child's new iPod Touch Some online safety tips for parents as they shop this holiday season Yoursphere Contributing Writer Best Presents for Teens this Holiday Written by Yoursphere Writer, Claire "This year I got socks for Chanukah. Even sadder, my little brother, who doesn't care about clothes at all, got them too. This was a giant bright red flashing light that my parents needed a hint or two about what to get me this year for the holidays. So whether, you are searching for a gift to give someone, or are trying to find things to add to your list, here are some of the best presents (I think) for the 2010 Holidays." Read the rest of her article to see her recommendations, as well as comments from other members!   New Contests Members have a chance to win a Razor S Scooter when they submit their best "holiday celebration" themed photo! ________________________ We're asking members what makes them proud to be an American this holiday season. If they can tell us in 250 words or less, they'll be entered to win a 2010 White House Christmas ornament! New Gifts in the Gift Gallery Remind your kids to redeem their credits for great gifts in the Gift Gallery! Converse Shoes 1,250 Credits iPod Docking Speakers 1,250 Credits Friends 4 Ever Bracelet Kit 500 Credits Check out the rest of the Gift Gallery here! Keeping it Positive in Yoursphere One of our goals here at Yoursphere is to build smart and respectful digital citizens. One way we do that is by incorporating messages throughout the site that remind members to be Internet safety smart.   Meet Yoursphere's New Mascot, Orbie! This little guy helps guide new Yoursphere members through things like our sign-up process and setting up their profile.    Yoursphere Holiday Special!   Parent Newsletter - December 2010 Happy Holidays! 'Tis the season to give, so it's only right that we give parents their monthly dose of Yoursphere news! This month we've got new contests and contest winners, some useful holiday shopping tips, and a couple Yoursphere promotional deals to help parents out during the holidays. Yoursphere on Lifetime TV Yoursphere's been receiving a lot of positive feedback in regards to the 3-part series that's airing on Lifetime TV. So far, only two segments have aired, but you can catch the third one when it airs on January 25th at 7am PST/EST. Mary Kay will have a few special guests with her! Click the buttons below to watch parts 1 and 2: Mary Kay lets viewers know what Yoursphere is all about--a positive and fun experience for kids and teens--and how we put their safety and privacy first. Mary Kay also explains the online dangers that parents should be aware of when their kids are using the Internet. In this segment, Mary Kay explains to viewers what Yoursphere is doing to help teachers bring a safe social networking experience into their classroom. If you're a teacher, or know an educator who would benefit from this program, here's the link where they can sign up! Yoursphere Members Know How To Give Through positive messages, spheres, and contests we try and emphasize the importance of "giving" to all Yoursphere members. And with the holiday season in full swing, now is the time to reinforce this act and what it truly means to be charitable. That's why we're doing all we can--and we're asking parents to do the same-- to remind members that they can redeem their Yoursphere credits towards a charity of their choice. If you check out our Gift Gallery, you can see all of the charity options that your child can choose from. All they have to do is rack up 1,750 credits--which they earn just by being an active member in the site--and then choose from the list. The end result is their credits being turned into a $50 donation to that charity. Here are just a few that they can choose from:                             Doctors Without Borders            Water For People                      CARE  Yoursphere Review - A Christmas Story Yoursphere Contributing Writer, Tiffany, gave her take on this classic Christmas flick. She said it's her favorite holiday movie of all time, and a lot of other members agreed. Then again, who doesn't love A Christmas Story? Here's a snippet from her review: "In the days before Christmas he visits a very mean Santa and he is very upset when he cannot tell him what he wants. There are also some bullies that he has to deal with at school along the way. His mother is always telling him, "You're gonna shoot your eye out" every time he asks for the BB gun. Poor Ralphie can't catch a break." Gift the Gift of Yoursphere! Save 50% now! Not enough time to go holiday shopping this year? Not to worry! Until December 24th, Yoursphere is taking 50% off the Gold Membership price. Now parents can give a gift that lasts a year for the small price of $19.95! Here's what your child will have access to by becoming a Gold Member: Scholarship opportunities Triple the credits to spend in the Gift Gallery Exclusive content and access in our virtual world Ability to become a: Yoursphere Site Ambassador Yoursphere Contributing Writer Yoursphere Review Team Member All you have to do is log into Yoursphere, choose the child you want to upgrade, click on the "Upgrade to Gold Member" button, and select the $19.95 Holiday promo price!   Click here to get started. Featured Sphere When it comes to choosing a sphere to feature, we look for content that's not only fun, creative, and unique, but content that engages Yoursphere members in interesting and positive discussions. The tough part is, interesting conversations are easy to come by in Yoursphere. Here's what we chose this month: Created by Yoursphere Member, animorphsrule, this sphere is dedicated to generating awareness around endangered plants and animals. One member shared pictures from his trip to Africa where he encountered an endangered species called The Mountain Gorilla. Sadly, only 800 of these gorillas are still in existence. Click the image to see all the great conversations and content that this sphere generated. Yoursphere Contest Winners Here at Yoursphere, we hold new and exciting contests all the time. And because of that, we always have kids winning the latest prizes. If your child wins a prize, you can be sure that they'll be featured here in the monthly parent newsletter. So keep your eyes open! Here's a list of the most recent winners, what they won, and why. "Spirit of Thanksgiving" Contest - Winner: koconnell0029 We asked Yoursphere members to tell us in a poem, story, or essay what they were most thankful for this year. There were a lot of great submissions, but koconnell0029 had the best. "I wake up and look at my calender and see it's Thanksgiving day, the day my whole family gathers around the table giving thanks for everything like being together and having this wonderful food that not everybody can have."  "Who Am I?" Contest - Winner: Paramore982 Can you figure out who this pop-star singer is? Neither could a lot of contestants. However, Yoursphere member Paramore982 was able to figure it out, and because of that, she'll be receiving a $25 iTunes gift card in the mail very shortly. Answer: Pink "What Am I?" Contest - Winner: HopeNicole It was interesting to see all the responses that this Thanksgiving contest produced. We had kids saying it's a heart, a basket, chili peppers, and licorice! HopeNicole, however, hit the nail on the head. And as her reward she'll be receiving a copy of the Toy Story 3 video game for the Wii. Answer: Turkey Smart Holiday Shopping The next month or so is a prime time for cyber criminals to target those who are trying to save a few bucks on their holiday shopping. Most of us are familiar with the spam emails that tell us we can "SAVE 50% OFF (insert product)!!", but during the holidays more people are inclined to actually open these emails, and that's a really bad idea. In fact, the 2010 Norton Cybercrime Report indicated that nearly 75% of Americans have already fallen victim to email scams. The scary thing is these emails can be tricky to spot, especially when it's personalized with your name or email address. Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping online or looking for deals: If you receive a suspicious email DELETE IT. It doesn't matter if it's screaming deals that are too good to be true--the fact is, they most likely are. Opening an email might not land you a virus, but the websites that it links you to could be set up to take your credit card information if and when you decide to buy something. Use visual cues to identify safe websites to shop on. Taking a few seconds to scan a website for a trust mark such as the VeriSign Trusted Seal could save you from having your identity stolen. These marks show that the site is certified and abides by security measures, online business ethics, and customer privacy standards. Make sure you have anti-virus/anti-malware software installed on your computer. These software programs are good at alerting you before you do anything too damaging. If you don't have one, a reliable and free one is AVG. Stay Connected! You can find Mary Kay on: Following her on one of these networks is the best way to get in touch with her and keep up with what's going on in and out of Yoursphere. Also, be sure to visit YoursphereForParents, where you can find useful tools and information when it comes to leveraging the best Internet experience for you and your children. As always, thank you for entrusting Yoursphere with your child's online experience and helping us raise the bar for our kids' and teens' online safety. Best Regards, The Yoursphere Team.