Internet Safety Tips for Parents

While at homeschool conferences I often present a workshop on teaching computer skills. One of the related areas I touch on is Internet Safety issues with regard to our children. Often, parents are unaware of potential dangers, and how to protect their children while allowing them to benefit from the positive aspects of using the Internet. You may not realize it, but children as young as 8 and 9 years old can stumble across Internet pornography and be drawn back to it again and again.

I have created this page to share information on Internet Safety with a wider audience. I will likely add information as I have time. Please email me with any questions or good information you may have, either on the potential hazards to be aware of, or any suggestions for "safe surfing" for our kids.

Here are the main points of safety that I present in my workshops:

Install blocking software.

This is a must if you let your kids surf the Internet. Blocking software will stop your browser from displaying a page that has obvious "questionable" material. Blocking software is not fool-proof, and will miss some things, so you still have to monitor your kids' Internet use. Blocking software can be annoying, and block things you don't want it to, so you have to learn how to temporarily turn it off, and don't let your kids know how to do that!

• CyberSitter - I have used CyberSitter myself. It provides good blocking, and it is cheaper than many because they do not charge a monthly fee. Like most blocking software, the reporting is difficult to read, so makes monitoring a lot more work.
• Covenant Eyes - I have not tried this product yet. It provides blocking AND easy monitoring since the reports are easy to read and conveniently emailed to the parent. You can use the blocking functionality, or opt to simply report on sites that your kids visit. This gives you the option to allow older teens the freedom to use the Internet un-blocked, and they know that you will be monitoring their use to keep them accountable. It costs more than others due to the monthly fee per PC, but appears to be one of the best out there.
• K9 Web Protection - I am using this FREE product on 1 of my pc's at home. It provides good blocking and decent reporting on sites that have been blocked or visited. it cannot be configured to block different users at different levels, or monitor individual user activity - it blocks all users on a single PC the same. You also have to run the K9 software on the PC in order to view the reports (even though the reports are online). It would be nice to be able to log in to the K9 website to view reports from any PC with a browser, or to get the reports emailed to you. If you don't mind the same level of blocking for all users on a PC, this may be a great option for you.

Monitor your kids' use of the Internet.

It only takes a few seconds to surf to an inappropriate site (even unintentionally) and run into all sorts of inappropriate things. Allowing children to have unrestricted access to the Internet behind the closed door of their room is not wise.

• Restrict kids' access to the Internet. We restrict access by setting a password on their accounts that only we know. It is a pain sometimes, to have to walk to the computer and enter a password anytime they want to use it, but we believe it is worth it.
• Location of the computer is important. Our kids' computer is in the living room and we don't let them use the computer if we will be out of the room for more than a short time. You cannot monitor their use of the computer if you are not there to observe. (Having software that provides good reporting of Internet use can alleviate some of the need to observe.)
• Social sites require extra attention. Sites like Facebook and MySpace offer your kids a free "space" on the Internet, to place information about themselves, share their opinions with the world, and chat or play games with friends. The problem is that almost anyone can ask them to be an "online friend", and in some cases they will be able to see comments from people they don't even know. There are lots of nice people - and lots of bad people - on these social sites. If you let your kids have a "space" on the Internet, you should consider learning how to use it yourself, and monitor your child's space to see who might be interacting with them. Better safe than sorry!

Be cautious with cell phones and other mobile devices.

• Today's cell phones are mini-computers, with full access to the internet, email, messaging, etc. It is almost impossible to monitor this activity if your child has their own cell phone in their posession when you are not around.
• Today's cell phones have built-in cameras, and can send and receive pictures directly to and from other cell phones. If your children own a cell phone, they can receive pictures of ANYTHING from other people. It is becoming a common practice for teens to distribute inapropriate pictures of themselves or others via their cell phones. Posession or distribution of under-age pornography is a criminal offence, and is not treated lightly. Teens have got themselves and their friends into serious trouble without even realizing that it was "a big deal."
• The "pay-as-you-go" phones are a good option here. We have a phone that we pay $25 every 3 months to keep minutes on it, and when one of our kids is going somewhere they can take it. The phone does not have a camera and does not have internet access. You have to look for the cheapest phones they offer to get the basic ones. Take a look at www.tracfone.com. Or, I think we got ours - an AT&T GoPhone - at Walmart or Target or someplace like that.

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