How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet

July 5, 2008 1:31 am Phyllis Wheeler Education
by Phyllis Wheeler

Are you wondering how to make the Internet safe for your kids? You want them to use the Internet for research, but you don’t want them to find objectionable sites or emails.

Maybe you are hoping to buy a program for your computer that blocks objectionable sites, but will allow them to do the research you want them to do.

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 these word-blocking solutions are no good at all at blocking objectionable photo sites that have no objectionable words attached. Ask me how I know? My teenage son figured it out. He just went to Google Images and started looking. Your son could do that too. And the objectionable sites he found weren’t blocked by NetNanny, which was turned 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.

*To log on, anyone who is not an adult will have to ask an adult to input the password, giving permission in this way.

*Ensure that the kid logs off when the computer session is over, or turns the computer off. This makes the password required for the next session.

*Use NetNanny or a similar filter. It can only 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.

*Make younger kids use your email address. Then you can be sure to delete that filth that lands in the inbox from time to time. Or, as the kids get older, give them their own but instruct them to give out their address only to trusted friends.

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

About the Author:
Phyllis Wheeler, the Computer Lady, gives these tips for mothers and fathers.. She also provides homeschool computer courses via MotherboardBooks.com, which has offered self-study computer science courses for kids and teens since 2003.
3 Responses

  1. How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet at College Keeps you Busy :

    Date: July 5, 2008 @ 9:13 am

    […] How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet Are you wondering how to make the Internet safe for your kids? You want them to use the Internet for research, but you don’t want them to find objectionable sites or emails. by Phyllis Wheeler […]

  2. Jimmy’s Online College Posts » Blog Archive » How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet :

    Date: July 5, 2008 @ 9:37 am

    […] How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet Are you wondering how to make the Internet safe for your kids? You want them to use the Internet for research, but you don’t want them to find objectionable sites or emails. by Phyllis Wheeler […]

  3. How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet at The Education Blog :

    Date: July 5, 2008 @ 10:05 am

    […] How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet Are you wondering how to make the Internet safe for your kids? You want them to use the Internet for research, but you don’t want them to find objectionable sites or emails. by Phyllis Wheeler […]