Soon after you have a baby you start thinking about all of the things you need to do to protect them. Parents will spend hundreds of dollars on; soft barriers for the sharp corners in their home, electric outlet covers, toilet seat locks, cupboard and drawer locks, door knob locks, kitchen safety kits, gates, and even railing extensions. The first few years of a child’s life is almost spent in a bubble. As children grow older the locks come off and the parents start to allow for more freedom. This wondrous experience of watching your little one grow also includes providing every opportunity for them to learn. Soon the family computer is being used to introduce children to the ABC’s and the 123’s. Children catch on to using a computer very quickly and over the years will start to use the computer for school projects, interactive fun with friends, and even more mature or educational games. It is at this time that parents need to spend the time and money to again protect their children.
Parents now have options when it comes to protecting their children. Microsoft is a leading company in: software, computing devices, and innovative technologies. Included in their many expanding products is the support for internet safety, especially the safety of children using the internet. With youth being brought up with technology at their fingertips, many are already tech savvy and have become the tech guru’s in their own homes, with such ability also comes a big responsibility. This is because children are the optimum target for an internet predator. Even the risk of children accidentally tying a URL wrong can lead to disturbing results.
“Until very recently, if you typed www.whitehouse.com instead of the correct URL of www.whitehouse.gov, you’d be directed to an "adult" site with graphic pornography. This has recently been "addressed" and the government now owns the dotcom site, but until recently, this was a hardcore pornographic site. “(http://www.warningsigns.info/internet_safety.htm ).
Children on the internet cannot readily discern what they are doing, as safe practice, without proper guidelines. Microsoft wants to help families with this enormous task. Some of the features include free upgrades/downloads, internet filters, personalized setting for each individual user, time limit settings, internet activity reports, gaming limits, protection against accidental system changes, download blocking, kid access request via e-mail, and even setting limits on who you can communicate with.
All of this is extremely important to protect your children from; exposure to pornography or other offensive material, child predation and exploitation, internet addiction, cyber bullying, viruses and malicious computer attacks. To help protect against this Microsoft additional promotes the following to help assure enjoyable and successful sessions.
Safety comes first
Surfing with the kids
Share an account
The internet is not Private
Communicate
Be an informed parent
Explain the risks
Set rules
Never reveal private information
Keep the computer in an open area
Keep track of sites and passwords
Use screen names not real names
Avoid private chat rooms
Time limits
Be respectful
No trading photos
Terminate inappropriate communication and report them if necessary
Don’t be tricked into giving away your phone number
People are not always as they appear online
Avoid discussing personal or family matters online
Get permission to sign in
Children are meant to be protected and Microsoft is helping in that ongoing endeavor.
http://www.KidSafeInc.com
http://www.sesamestreet.org/home
http://pbskids.org
http://www.warningsigns.info/internet_safety.htm
http://www.atg.wa.gov/InternetSafety/FamiliesAndEducators.aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/family/guidelines/default.mspx
7 comments:
I have noticed this has become a bigger issue having witnessed my nephew firsthand. He is constantly on the computer from the time he gets up to the time he goes to bed. There needs to be password protection to the computer or a timer to time out their session so they don't spend all day on the internet. Setting the computer to a high risk protection would help. What happened to the good old days of going outside and playing that way? This would help kids stay safe from all of the garbage on the internet.
Having chrildren who regularly access the internet, this is a huge topic for me right now. There have been several occasions where a virus has been planted from "free" game sites or other sites which may have been re-directed. My son is becoming aware of the dangers. He has started to navigate more cautiously recently.
This is such a scary subject for parents. The worst part is that the same people you have tried to protect your children from outside your home can now come right in. They are very practiced at becoming a child or young adult's friend, it is mind boggling!
I am trying to teach my son that the internet is not just a big happy playland. There are people that are not very nice. My son is 14 now and I do surprise checks when he is online. I also have learned how to search the history of sites he has visited.
I plan on staying very vigilent in keeping an eye on him. I also agree with Thomas; there is some time for the computer, but get out of the house and play!
My wife and I don't have children yet but I hope that by the time we do the internet will have become a safer place! Although, with the way criminals are staying in front of the law I am worried that it will become even more danagerous. Searching history of your childs activity is fine until they realize that there is an easy way to delete history. . . I remember a time when the worst thing a child could get into was the old Playboy he found in a shoe box in the basement!
SP
This is such an interesting topic. It is scary how easy it is for predators to attract children and also how easy it is for children to see pornography even when they are not looking for it. Even if a child goes to google images and types in a name of their favorite actress or even cartoon, more than likely they will run into some sort of pornography.
That is one thing you don't really think about is stranger danger on the computer. 20 years ago it was actual real strangers who approach kids face to face with some story about a lost puppy or kitty. Now the stranger has many faces that are not easily seen.
Anonymous
This is a great article, I have a son who is six and he is always wanting to get on the internet to go to some game website, Disney.com, or YouTube. Which we do not allow because their is so much garbage on it. We have to be very careful for all kids of dangers on the internet for children.
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