The internet is the playground of the modern world. It’s an informational highway that directs you to virtually anything: nasty and nice. It is also a wonderful teaching tool for children, but as a parent you have to keep in mind that anything you do online, your kids can do too. Shopping, talking to strangers, and yes, even looking at pornography. Naturally you want to protect your children from the darker aspects of the digital world, so outlined below are some precautions and steps you can take.
First thing’s first: sit down and have a decent discussion with your offspring about the internet. Open communication is the key to their online safety. Make clear your expectations over their internet usage, set rules, and encourage them to ask questions. Let your children know that they are to come to you immediately if something online makes them uncomfortable, so you can take steps against it.
This one is a bit of a no-brainer, but if there is a family computer with internet capabilities, place it in a room that is often in use. Make sure the screen faces outwards so you can easily check what they’re looking at. Let your children know that you will be able to monitor all their online activity: kids are less likely to stray when there is risk of someone catching them.
Young children should have a daily limit on internet usage. For children up to 11 years, 30 minutes is enough time for recreation online. Anything extra should be reserved for homework. Teenagers are a different kettle of fish. You can restrict their internet usage, certainly, but for those of you who feel it’s not worth the storm, there are other options.
Check browser history after every session to see which sites have been visited and for how long. This is the most basic step parents can take to monitor online activity, and if your children don’t know how to delete it, it’s the most effective.
Install software that allows you to monitor and restrict internet usage. Ideally you want software that won’t restrict your online activities, so a product like Net Nanny or BSafeOnline allows you to define program-specific accounts with the option of tying them in to individual Windows user accounts. Other monitoring software products you may want to look into are Cyber Patrol, Parental Control Bar (free), and Bullguard. Of course there are many more that can be easily found and researched through a simple Google search.
Keeping your children safe online is incredibly important. Establishing the grounds for good communication and building trust means your children will come to you first when they encounter their first cyber bully, pervert, or indecent image. As children grow, they can be given more freedom and responsibility online until they reach the point where you feel they can be trusted on their own.