The Internet is an amazing world of learning and unlimited knowledge. Children are open to new ways of learning, playing games and meeting new people, but at the same time they are exposed to a world of dangers. Instant messaging, chat rooms, emails and social networking sites can also bring trouble - from cyber-bullying to gambling, to inappropriate material and even exposure to sexual predators.
As a parent, how can you protect your children when they are online?
The easiest piece of advice we can give is to monitor your children's computer use whenever possible. We know that it is not possible to keep an eye on your child 24/7, so here are some additional tips:
-Tell your kids in advance about the danger of online predators. Keep an ongoing dialogue and encourage your entire family to ask questions about online safety.
-Keep the computer in a common area rather than in your kid's private room.
-When your child is online, take a seat next to them and watch what they are doing. If any website or email looks suspicious, divert their attention or delete the message together.
-Tell your kids not to respond to any emails or instant messages that are from strangers.
-Until your children are old enough to truly comprehend the dangers that exist online, do not let them participate in chat rooms or discussion forums.
-Likewise, until the kids are old enough, have them use a family email that you can easily monitor.
In addition to these tips, there are online tools that will help you keep your kids safe online. To find these tools check out your Internet Service Provider (also called an ISP), which often offers security devices for free. Next, try your local computer store and ask about the types of software they have that will block and filter unwanted messages and websites. And also check out your web browser, which may have parental controls that you can manually switch on and off.
Unfortunately, even if you have done everything imaginable to protect your children from online trouble, sometimes a predator will slip through the cracks. If this happens, do not blame yourself or your kid. Take a deep breath and approach the problem with a level and logical head.
Some warnings signs to watch for include:
-Your child may spend a crazy amount of time online.
-You are suddenly fielding phone calls from strangers who are asking to speak with your child, or your child is suddenly receiving packages in the mail from strangers.
-Pornography pops up on the family computer.
-You notice that your child is withdrawing from his or her usual activities.
-You find out that your kid is using someone else's online account.
Finally, there are a lot of helpful services on the internet if your kids do wind up having trouble online. The best advice is to deal with the problem directly and as soon as you can.
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