With a top Google executive laying the responsibility for children’s safe use of the internet firmly at the feet of parents it’s time to step up a gear, and make sure you do all you can to protect your kids online.
You tell your kids not to talk to strangers and you wouldn’t let them wander off down the street or come home at all hours without knowing where they’re going/where they’ve been or who they’re with. So why let them do that online?
The fact is that protecting your kids in the virtual world is just an important as in the ‘real’ world, because the two can, and occasionally do, collide.
There are more than enough horror stories out there to freak-out even the most relaxed of parents. From children who’ve been ‘groomed’ by paedophiles to those lured into meeting-up with ‘friends’ they’ve met online – who’ve turned out to be grown men or women with more sinister intentions.
There are also plenty of other dangers, such as simply seeing something they shouldn’t, or being bullied.
So, having put the frighteners on, now for the good news. The fact is that it is very possible to keep your child safe online. All you, and they, have to do is follow some simple pointers.
Set the ground rules
From setting time limits to when and for how long they use to internet, to keeping computers and laptops in a location where you can see what they’re browsing (rather than tucked away in a bedroom), it’s important to be clear about what they can and can’t do online.
Agreeing on which sites are OK for them to view and discussing with them the reasons for not giving their email address to all and sundry, simply talking openly with your kids about how to use the internet safely is basic, yet effective.
Be realistic
We all know that everything and anything is available online, if you go looking for it.
We also know that kids are inquisitive.
And we also know they can be willful. Even the most well-behaved of kids will occasionally push the boundaries. So do keep an eye on what they’re doing, from time to time.
Consider installing internet monitoring software if you cannot keep sufficient tabs on their online activity.
Make their online world as safe as possible
Get your child to use child-friendly browsers, like Yahoo! Kids that enable children to browse in a safe and relatively-controlled environment and actively encourage parents to ensure they and their kids are safety savvy.
You can also make use of internet content filtering tools and spam filters, to ensure that nothing accidentally pops up that shouldn’t.
Keep an eye out for parental controls. ISPs like MSN have tools available that monitor, restrict and even report-back on your child’s online activity.
Get net savvy
If your kids use online chat rooms then you need to. See what goes on first-hand, learn the language used, and get clued-up so you can efficiently monitor what is going on in your child’s virtual world.
Get up-to-speed with Facebook and YouTube. If you’ve got young kids hooked on Club Penguin or Moshi Monsters, venture into their worlds. Knowing what they’re up to makes monitoring what they’re doing a whole lot easier.
{Image: Miika Silfverberg}
