|
The Internet and
the invention of the personal computer are perhaps the most
significant creations of the 20th Century, offering unprecedented
communication tools that link families and friends around the world.
It provides users access to an incredible volume of information and
is an invaluable tool of the academic and business world. However,
the Internet can also be a seedy and dangerous place for people of
all ages, especially children and teens. Therefore it is vital that
parents are aware if how to minimalize the dangers to their
children, and to be able to inform their children of what measures
to take in order to keep their Internet time as safe as possible.
Children are
often introduced to the Internet at an early age, at which time the
parent has full control over their child's Internet use. As the
child develops however, parents naturally have to gradually
relinquish this control, whilst at the same time doing all they can
to keep their children safe form the dangers that the Internet
poses.
Age 2 to 4
At this age
children start interacting with the computer in the presence of
their parents. There are numerous sites that are can be suitable for
this age group but, in most cases, it makes sense for the parent and
child explore together. This is not just because of safety, but also
a way to assure that the child has a pleasant experience. It's
probably best for parents to choose the Web sites they visit and not
let them leave those sites on their own.
Age 4 to 8
For the first
time children begin to explore on their own, but it's still
important for parents to be in very close touch with their children
as they explore the Net. When your child's at this age it becomes
important to restrict his or her access only to sites that you have
visited and that you feel are appropriate. At this age it's
important that kids experience positive results from sites that they
come across. The issue here isn't so much about avoiding dangerous
sites, but about making sure that they are visiting sites that don’t
frustrate them.
Age 8 to 11
During this
period, for the first time children begin looking outside the family
for new information, and peer pressure begins to become an issue for
many kids. It's also a time when kids are looking for more
independence from parents. During these years, children should be
encouraged to explore more their own, but that doesn't mean that the
parents shouldn't close by. For this age group, consider putting the
computer in a kitchen area, or any other areas where the child has
access to parents while using the computer. That way, they can be
"independent" but not alone. Also, this is a prime age to start to
make use of commercially available Internet filtering and monitoring
software such as iProtectYou.
Complete control
over your child’s use of the computer When your child is at this
stage, you need to be concerned not so much about what he's doing
online and with the PC as how long he's spending on the PC. Be sure
that his time on the computer and the Internet doesn't take away
from all his other activities. Children to need to spend there free
time immersed in a variety of different activities, in order to
develop fully. One way to deal with this might be through the use of
a software time-limiting tool such as Chronager.
Age 12 to 14
At this stage,
many kids want to experience even more independence. If children
aren't already doing so, this is a time when they should start using
the Internet to help with schoolwork and, perhaps apply it to
extra-curricular activities. This is also an age when you have to be
concerned not just about what kids see and do on the Internet, but
how long they are online. You need to set time limits so that they
don not spend an excessive amount of time online. Also you need to
be sure that they are spending time doing other activities such as
sports, music, and reading.
At this time
children often become very social and consequently are most likely
to be interested in online chat. Kids should understand basic
privacy rules and should be aware that they can never give out
information about themselves or to get together with anyone they
meet online without first checking with their parents. Also, it
should be emphasized that they should never exchange photographs
with people they don't know. At this age they need to understand
clearly the fact that people on the Internet may not be who they are
made out to be.
This is also an
age where many children start to become interested in sexual
matters. During this early period of exploration, it is especially
important for kids to know that their parents are around and know
what they are doing. You may not need to be in the same room as your
kids the entire time they're on the Net, but they do need to know
that you and other family members can come in at any time, and can
ask them about what they are doing online. If it is not possible for
parents to be around all the time, then commercial Internet
monitoring software is a vital tool for parents at this time.
A strong
argument of get an Internet filter is thus; If kids search hard
enough, they can probably find Web sites and newsgroups that explore
sexual fantasies that they -- and even you -- might find disturbing
or even frightening.
Children at this
age are likely to be interested in games that they can download from
the Internet to play either online or offline. Some of these games
may have content that is highly inappropriate for children, so it's
important to be aware of what your kids are doing on the computer,
even when they're not connected to the Internet. Again, Internet
monitoring software can be a great help to parents who cannot always
be around to directly monitor how their children are using the
computer.
When using
filtering software, you may need to explain to them that you are
doing it to protect them from material that you consider to be
harmful. Just as you might not let them go to certain places in your
home town, you have the right to keep them from surfing to certain
types of places in cyberspace.
Age14 to 17
At this age a
teen is beginning to mature physically, emotionally, and
intellectually. Consequently he or she desires to experience
increasing independence from parents.
Teens are also
more likely to risks both online and offline. While the likelihood
of a teen being abducted by someone he meets in a chat room is
relatively low, there is always the possibility that he or she will
meet someone who will want to have a personal relationship, and
teens must be aware that these people might be very different of how
they are made out to be online. Teens need to understand that to be
in control of themselves means being vigilant, on the alert for
people who might hurt them.
If a teen does
want to meet someone he or she met online, it's important that the
teen does not go alone and that the meeting takes place somewhere in
public.
A teen should be
given Internet privileges, that are subject to been taken away if
the Internet is misused. However, remember that your teen will soon
be an adult and needs to know not just how to behave but how to make
his or her own judgment, and so finding his or her own conclusions
on how to explore the Net and life in general in a safe and
productive manner.
The following
list should be given to your children and referred back to often.
They are standard rules that children should keep to in order to
keep their online activity as safe as possible.
1) I will not
give out personal information such as my address, telephone number,
parents’ work address/telephone number, or the name and location of
my school without my parents’ permission. I will not fill out
questionnaires or any forms online. This includes chat rooms,
instant messages, email, surfing the Net and event entering contests
or registering for clubs online.
2) I will tell
my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me
feel uncomfortable.
3) I will never
agree to get together with someone I "meet" online without first
checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will
be sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or father
along.
4) I will never
send a person my picture or anything else without first checking
with my parents.
5) I will not
respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel
uncomfortable. If I do, I will Log off and tell my parents. If I get
such a message, I will not respond. Instead, I will show it to my
parents and let them deal with it.
6) I will talk
with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online. We
will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of
time I can be online and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will
not access other areas or break these rules without their
permission.
7) I will not
give out my Internet password to anyone (even my best friends) other
than my parents.
8) I will check
with my parents before downloading or installing software or doing
anything that could possibly hurt our computer or jeopardize my
family’s privacy
9) I will be a
good online citizen and not do anything that hurts other people or
is against the law.
10) I will help
my parents understand how to have fun and learn things online and
teach them things about the Internet, computers and other
technology.
11) I will not
enter a chat room without Mum and/or Dad’s presence or supervision.
Some “kids” in chat rooms may not really be kids; they may be adults
with bad intentions.
12) I will never
respond to or send an e-mail or instant message to a stranger, or
accept e-mails, enclosures, links, URLs or other things online from
people you I know. I will talk to my parents first so they can check
it out.
13) I will not
keep an online profile as this serves as a lightening rod for
predators. If I do keep such a profile I am much more likely to be
approached in chat rooms by dangerous people.
The first point
referred to keeping information private. This is a vitally important
point that children need to be reminded of again and again.
Everything about you: your name, your phone number, your age, your
passwords and where you live is your private information. When
you’re on the Internet or an online service you may get an e-mail
message, an instant message or come to a web site that asks you for
this type of information. Children should know that if people get
hold of private information through the Internet; They might want to
use it so they can try to sell them things. They might send them
unwanted and highly inappropriate e-mail (spam). They might actually
sell or trade their information with another company. Or, they might
have much more sinister and dangerous intentions, and use this
information to try to make personal contact with the child, at first
through the Internet, and then maybe face to face.
SoftForYou a
filtering and monitoring software company, whose products were
highly rated by PC Magazine, Tech TV, Lockergnome, Kim Komando Show
and by others, is designed to enable children to use the Internet,
whilst been shielded from its harmful and potentially dangerous
effects. It is an essential tool for any parent who cannot be around
to physically watch over their child's use of the Internet. Internet
filtering and parental control software program In relation to the
tips for children listed above, iProtectYou can help in the
following ways;
You can use it
to block any personal information from being sent over the Internet;
from your credit card numbers to your address. It offers an advanced
monitoring system that enables you to check on the activity of your
child at a later time that is convenient to you. You can limit the
times that your child can use the Internet (and the computer as a
whole,) and the web sites that he or she has access to. You can
block your child from entering chat rooms and instant messaging
programs (MSN, ICQ, Yahoo, AOL messengers), and so lessening the
dangers of predators being able to communicate with your child. You
can restrict access to programs and sites that enable children to
keep an on-line profile on the net.
These are just a
few of the many benefits that iProtectYou can bring to you and your
family. For more information please refer to the site at
Softforyou.com.
back to
top
|
