The Internet is a great resource – especially for school-age children. The world is literally at their fingertips– research material, educational videos, and no end of resources. But make no mistake about it. Between hate-driven sites, online predators and pornography, the internet can be a dangerous place for children. So as responsible parents, it falls to us to take action to keep your children safe online.
Step 1: Leave the computer in a public place
Don’t let your children have a computer in their bedroom. Instead, leave the computer in a public area in your home, preferably one where the screen is visible to most everyone. This will help assure that your kids don’t spend time on sites that are less than desirable.
Step 2: Create a user account for your kids
Windows allows different people to have their own accounts, each with different levels of access. If you give your children an account with Guest access, they will be able to browse the internet, chat with friends and send and receive email. However, they won’t be able to install software and games they might find on the internet, many of which carry viruses.
Step 3: Install internet filters
A filtering program can help keep kids away from websites that contain pornography or promote hate. While no filtering system is perfect – and you shouldn’t depend wholly on a filter to protect your kids – a web filter can be a valuable tool. There are many for-pay web filters out there. However, The Computer Psychic recommends an excellent free program, K9 Web Protection. K9 Web Protection keeps a list of known websites that promote pornography, violence, drug use or gambling, and blocks access to those sites. In addition, K9 Web Patrol checks all other sites “on the fly” for any questionable content.
Step 4: Talk to your children
Yes, it’s obvious, but all too many parents don’t take the time to explain to their children just exactly what type of behavior is expected from them. Explain to them what sort of sites they may and may not visit. Explain to them that there are bad guys out there disguising themselves as kids. Make sure they know never to reveal any personal information over the internet, including telephone numbers and addresses. These same rules apply to cell phones. Make sure they know that any action performed online is potentially available for the entire world to view.
Summary:
As parents, we walk a fine line between informing our children and scaring them. But it’s important for us to take the steps needed to keep them safe. Hopefully with these tools, your kids will find the internet to be an enriching and wonderful place.
This article is provided by Eric Smith, The Computer Psychic. All content is protected by applicable copyrights, and may not be reproduced without express consent of the author.
The information in this knowledge base article is provided “as-is” with no warranty, express or implied, as to the suitability or validity of its content. It is up to the reader of this article to determine if the steps outlined herein are appropriate for his or her use. As with all tasks on the computer, be sure to have a current backup of your data before proceeding.
Eric Smith, The Computer Psychic
