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How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet

By: Phyllis Wheeler You may be wondering how you can make the Internet safe for your kids. You'd like to protect them from the objectionable sites and emails that would be so easy for them to find.

I bet you would like to find a program you could buy that you could install on your computer to block objectionable content, but permit research.

I have to tell you that there is no solution like that. These filter programs, such as NetNanny, look for a list of objectionable words in the site your child has chosen to visit. Simple words such as "leg" can raise the alarm and cause a headache, while regular research on breast cancer might be blocked.

But programs like this fail when trying to filter objectionable photo sites that have no objectionable words. So, how do I know this? I am sad to say that my teenage son enlightened me. Using Google Images, he searched for objectionable sites and found them, even though the filtering program was on.

In fact, the filter program could never block these sites because it searches for words. It can't evaluate pictures.

So, how can you protect your child?

* Keep your computers where you can monitor what the kids are doing. Put them in the kitchen or wherever YOU are.

*Only the adults should know the login password. The kids will have to have permission to get on.

*Insist that your kids log off when they finish. As a result, they will need an adult to input the password the next time they want on.

*Use filtering software. It may help.

*Make sure the kids know you will punish them if they are looking at objectionable sites. Visit their terminals at unpredictable times.

*If a child is just using a word processor or some other local program, disconnect the Internet cable.

*Give younger kids your own email address to use. This protects them from objectionable spam. Give teens an email address, but instruct them to give it out only to people they know personally.

Following these precautions will help you keep your kids safe, and will teach your teenagers good habits for avoiding temptations.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Phyllis Wheeler, the Computer Lady, offers these tips for mothers and fathers.. She also furnishes homeschool computer courses via MotherboardBooks.com, which has provided do-it-yourself computer skills and programming courses for kids and teens since 2003.

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