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You are Here My Baby 1on1 » Parenting » How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet
How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet
I bet you would like to find a program you could buy that you could install on your computer to block objectionable content, but permit research. I have to tell you that there is no solution like that. These filter programs, such as NetNanny, look for a list of objectionable words in the site your child has chosen to visit. Simple words such as "leg" can raise the alarm and cause a headache, while regular research on breast cancer might be blocked. But programs like this fail when trying to filter objectionable photo sites that have no objectionable words. So, how do I know this? I am sad to say that my teenage son enlightened me. Using Google Images, he searched for objectionable sites and found them, even though the filtering program was on. The problem is that filter programs search for individual words. They never look at pictures, and in fact cannot. So, how can you protect your child? *Put the computers the kids use where YOU are in your home. Then monitor what they are doing. *Only the adults should know the login password. The kids will have to have permission to get on. *Insist that your kids log off when they finish. As a result, they will need an adult to input the password the next time they want on. *Use NetNanny or a similar filter. It can only help. *Make sure the kids know your expectations and the consequences for disobeying. *Unplug the Internet cables if the child doens't need to access the Internet for his task. *Give younger kids your own email address to use. This protects them from objectionable spam. Give teens an email address, but instruct them to give it out only to people they know personally. If you take these measures and are watchful, you will help your teenagers withstand a temptation that is everywhere on the Internet, and get them into the habit of making good choices when sitting down to use the computer. -->
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Article by: PhyllisWheeler |
Total views: 30 |
Word Count: 358 About the AuthorPhyllis Wheeler, the Computer Lady, gives these tips for mothers and fathers.. She also provides homeschool computer courses through MotherboardBooks.com, which has offered do-it-yourself computer science courses for kids and teens since 2003.
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