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Feb 3, 2006 2:07 pm US/Eastern
Tools To Help Protect Your Child Online
(CBS4)
You don't need us to tell you that today's teens are spending more and more time on the internet. But surveys show, despite what they are telling Mom and Dad, many of them are doing and seeing things their parents wouldn't necessarily approve of.
Very few parents have the time to monitor their child's online activities every minute of the day. And in many cases, our kids are more computer savvy than we are. But there are ways you can arm yourself as a parent or guardian.
Experts almost unanimously agree that a simple first step is to keep home computers in a common area, not in your child's bedroom. That doesn't mean you should be perched over your teen's shoulder the entire time they're chatting online with friends. The mere knowledge that you could enter the room at any time may be deterrent enough.
Most internet browsers are armed with a limited form of internet filtering.
In Internet Explorer, for instance, go to the "Tools" menu at the top of the page, then look for "Internet Options."
Click on the "Content" tab and you can take advantage of an online ratings system, by limiting access to web sites that contain offensive language, nudity, sex, or violence. It is not foolproof and relies on a web site accurately rating its own content.
Learn More About Internet Rating SystemIf you click on the "Security" tab, you can designate specific web sites where you want to restrict access to things like downloads, and some animation and video.
Different versions of web browsers offer different ways to access these tools, so you may need to spend some time exploring.
A word of caution here: computer savvy kids can find ways around these controls.
A more effective way to control what your child can access online is with Internet filtering software. These generally cost between $30 and $50 and offer much more complete protection. The programs analyze the words and objects on a site, rather than relying souly on a site's own ratings.
Even the manufacturers of Internet filtering software will tell you, the programs are not foolproof.
Reviews Of Popular Internet Filtering SoftwareBottom line: while these tools can help monitor and restrict your child's web site activity when you are not around, they are no substitute for parental supervision.
It is important to talk to your child about what they're doing online, setup some guidelines for their internet use, and educate yourself about the web sites they are using.
Internet Safety Tips for Teenagers, From Microsoft Internet Safety Tips for 9-12 Year-Olds, From Microsoft Learn Online Slang To Protect Your Kids
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