Kids Online: Advice for Parents
As more families acquire computers and connection to worldwide computer networks, parents and other adults are naturally anxious about how to safeguard children in this new environment. This page aims at giving adults a few sound words of advice, coupled with hypertext links to other locations that are likely to have material of interest.
The good news:
Keep in mind, first, that unlike at the mall, for example, computer-mediated communication does not bring children in physical contact with anyone. No one can touch your child through the computer network, only communicate with him or her.
Second, unlike the telephone, for example, computer networks (mostly) don't just dump communications into your home. For the most part, users of computer networks have to seek out the sort of information that many adults find questionable for access by children.
(One sort of exception is "chat rooms" as found on some of the major information service providers. More information about them can be found via some of the links below.)
Some risks:
Just as in the physical world--what Net folks sometimes call the "real world"--there are some risks that might be associated with children using the Net.
exposure to material that is "adult" in nature, especially violent or sexually oriented material
harassing messages
someone might try to arrange to meet a child in the "real world" with evil intent
your child might become involved in something unsavory--harassing someone else, say, or trading pirated software, music, or other copyrighted materials
What can parents do?
Parents and other adults can do much to safeguard children in virtual environments. Many of the steps that are wise to take to protect children online are steps in would be wise to take to keep children safe, period.
- Spend time using the Net with your child. Be sure that you understand what it is about.
- See that your children are comfortable talking with you about their experiences using the Net. Be sure that they know to tell you if anything they experience online makes them uncomfortable.
- Give your children personal safety knowledge to keep them safe from predators on the playground or at the mall. Many of the same rules apply on the Internet.
- Get to know the virtual environments your child uses and monitor your child's use of online services. Be aware how your child uses them and what information he or she accesses regularly. Again, this is not unlike paying attention to the books or television shows your child turns to for entertainment.
- Consider putting the family's "Internet" computer somewhere the family gathers, rather than in an isolated place in the home.
- Be sure your child understands that people online may not be who they say they are.
- Teach your children that they need not respond to abusive, threatening, or obscene remarks, whether on the playground or on the Net. One advantage of the Net is how easy it is to ignore such remarks. Learn to use "bozo filters" or other "gags" and see that your children know how to use them as well.
- Be sure your child understands it is inapproriate to give personal information--such as phone numbers, home address, school names--to strangers in public places or online.
- Instruct your children not to arrange "real world" meetings with net friends without your express permission. If you permit such a meeting, monitor it.
- Become acquainted with services and software that block access to what might be called "objectionable" parts of the Net. Be aware of their value and limitations. Understand that using such devices entails allowing other people to make decisions about what materials are suitable for your children, and if you choose to use such devices, understand how they select what sites to block.
- Teach your children about ethical behavior, and see that they know that there are real people with whom they communicate and that law and morality still apply.
Links to other resources:
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