With increasing availability of the Internet comes more potential for children to be exposed to inappropriate information or to be preyed upon. Websites with positive material, such as math and reading tools, abound. However, so do social networking and other sites that children use to communicate with friends and strangers. Parents may find it difficult or impossible to control what their children are exposed to when interacting on these sites. To ensure the safety of children who use computers and the Internet, parents must be vigilant and focused.
Types
Information about computers and Internet safety for children is available at many reputable websites. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) offers a parent's guide. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) sets June aside as Internet safety month, providing tips and information for parents to use when discussing Internet and computer use with their children.
Warning
Although much of the Internet safety equipment is helpful, some of it is a thinly disguised ploy for your money. Parental control software can be purchased, but much of it becomes outdated quickly, and older children often can find ways to navigate the Internet, especially if the software version is out of date. On the other hand, parental controls can be downloaded for many Internet software programs, such as Firefox Web broswer, which offers a library of free downloads that update regularly.
Benefits
By keeping close tabs on emerging Internet safety issues for your children, you are better able to protect them from online predators, as well as inappropriate contact. Children are naturally curious, and you don't want to stop a child's curiosity from growing, but you also don't want your child to be bombarded by images that are inappropriate if she searches out a term that she's curious about and has heard at school.
Prevention/Solution
Keep tabs on what your child is using on the computer and via the Internet. Bullying is a particularly difficult issue for adults, as many young kids are beginning to use social networks to cyberbully. This area is emerging as a significant source of depression and anxiety for bullied children, and schools and parents are barely able to keep up with this development. Learning about social networking makes you better equipped to identify and respond to potential misuse of a computer or the Internet by your child or other children with whom your child is associated.
Expert Insight
The FBI suggests that you keep up with what your child is doing on a computer. If he is up late at night using the computer, you find pornography on the computer, your child withdraws from family activities and suddenly shuts off the monitor or switches programs, then you have reason to be concerned. As with any device, limit your child's time and pay attention to what he is doing. While a computer often is required for homework for older children, have them work in a common area if you have concerns about how they are using the computer and the Internet.
