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Children and the Internet - what all parents should know
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We have all seen the news stories about child predators and how they use the Internet to find their victims. With such wide-spread coverage, I felt I was prepared to protect my child from these creeps. So imagine my utter shock and dismay when I tuned into the Today Show and saw the horrific videos giving step-by-step instructions on drug use and drinking.
As a parent, I felt extremely overwhelmed. I had no idea that kids could find these videos online. I decided to check out some Internet safety resources and found out that in addition to sexual predators and drug use videos, kids can be exposed to videos showing fighting and violence, pornography and even cyberbullying.
The Internet can be a wonderful tool in our children's educations. It has opened door and provided opportunities for our kids we could never have imagined. Each day however, there is more dangerous content online our children need to be protected from.
What do parents do to keep kids safe on the Web? In short, we need to educate ourselves. We need to learn about the Internet and the devices that deliver it to our children. In addition to the computers at home and in school, cell phones and even our kid's gaming systems can connect them to the Internet. Also, with laptops and wireless service, that connection can go virtually anywhere.
When considering the purchase of a new technological device, research it and ask questions. If you can not install parental controls, reconsider the purchase. Cell phone companies now allow parents to monitor their kids' usage and even block incoming and outgoing calls to unknown numbers. Get familiar with parental control software and use it.
Another key in protecting your child is to talk with them and spend time with them on the Internet. Make sure the computer your kids are using is in an open are of the home. Parental control software is no substitute for supervision. Check out social networking websites and make sure your child is not posting personal information about themselves or how they can be found. Also, it is a good idea to see what your children's friends have posted on these sites as well.
With some investigation and education, we can continue to provide our children with all of the benefits that the Internet has to offer without them having to wade though all of the garbage too.
Some great websites to help protect your children from the dangers on the Internet are www.wiredsafety.org and www.enough.org.
