The internet is a valuable tool, being the source for information, news, entertainment and obtaining new knowledge. Today’s children have access to the internet at an earlier age than ever before, with some elementary schools even having programs designed to familiarize children with using the internet’s resources. However, responsibility browsing the internet can be difficult, especially for young children. With this in mind, how can you help keep your children safe online? Is it possible to give your children enough freedom on the internet that they don’t feel restricted, while still ensuring that they won’t be in danger? Here is some general information that will help you to answer these questions, as well as design a way to teach your children how to use the internet safely.
Benefits of Giving your Child Access to the Internet
Much of today’s information is exchanged on the internet, with many magazines and publications choosing to forgo paper magazines to publish their content exclusively online. Most public school curriculums now assign homework that uses internet research, and may even involve a child being required to submit their homework online. Some of the benefits of your child using the internet include:
- Being exposed to educational information online may help stimulate a passion for learning.
- Successfully researching homework online gives your child a feeling of accomplishment.
- Learning how to use the internet will be a valuable skill as your child matures.
- By browsing the internet, your child will begin to gain computer literacy.
Risks of Children Using Computers
By contrast, there are many dangers involved in allowing your child to go online, especially if they are unsupervised for periods of time. Just like any other tool, the internet has the ability to be abused in ways that present danger to your child. Some of the risks involved in allowing your child to use the internet include:
- Exposure to Pornographic Content.
- Possible exposure to online predators that prey on children.
- Potential exposure to graphic, inappropriate or otherwise violent content.
- Exposure to “misinformation”, such as conspiracy theories and anarchist organizations.
- Potential exposure to ideals which can have negative effects on the highly impressionable minds of children.
How Can You Keep Your Child Safe Online?
To ensure that your child uses the internet in a responsible manner, there are many things that you can do. You can set boundaries, educate your children about the dangers on the internet, install software and have separate accounts that allow customization of your child’s browsing options. However, perhaps the two most important things for you to do are:
Get Involved
Give your child constant supervision when they are first learning how to navigate the internet. Explain to them how to use it responsibly, and what kinds of things to avoid. Tell your child that if they ever see anything that they think isn’t right, they should turn off the computer monitor and call you into the room immediately. By using this tactic, it is possible to identify any negative content that your child is exposed to, which will consequently allow you to block it from your computer.
Use Parental Controls
Most internet browser software includes parental controls that can be used to limit where your child goes while browsing the internet. In addition to restricting certain sites, it can also actually block pornographic, violent or otherwise inappropriate content from being viewed by your child. If you choose to install parental control software on the computer your child is using, you can have more specific control over how your child spends their time on the internet. Some software even monitors if your child is engaging in inappropriate chat conversations, which opens them up to being at risk for being exploited by internet predators. Most software has an option where you can either enable or disable your child’s participation in most chat rooms.
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