Online Safety

The Internet is now nearly everywhere and easily accessed by children. And more and more, schools are incorporating its use for assignments, beginning in early elementary years.

If you have bought or are planning to buy a desk for your child's computer, take care to read these online safety tips. With being online, kids are exposed to the wonders - and the dangers - of the Internet. Every day, there seems to be a different way to communicate with people online. Beginning with email and bulletin boards, web communication has evolved to many forms. Today, there are chat groups and chat rooms, instant messaging, blogging, and even text (also known as SMS for Simple Message Service) messaging over cell phones. And there are more ways for kids to give out information about themselves over the Web. This quick guide should help you in dealing with your child's Internet use.

Filtering Software
In the last year or so, search engines have taken an initiative to lower the incidence of children being exposed to inappropriate material. They have installed "Safe-Search" defaults, and you will notice them near the search box.

But dangers remain. These defaults are all too easily altered, and putting in questionable words will still get questionable results. About the only thing this has clearly eliminated has been seemingly innocent queries leading to definitely-not-innocent pages.

Installing filtering software on your machine is easy and economical. Popular and powerful programs are affordable and found just about anywhere that sells PCs, software, or childrens computer desks. They can, however, filter out perfectly good sites. And they are not 100% foolproof, because bad sites, albeit few in number, can break through.

Do not use filtering software as a replacement for parenting. Speak with your child about what is inappropriate and how to avoid the content, as well as how to report it if it comes up.

Computer Placement
Computer placement is probably the most important decision you will make in regard to your child's online safety. Placing a child computer desk with a PC in your kid's room with no restrictions or software is asking for trouble. Ideally, a computer with Internet access should be in or around a high traffic area or in open view, such as on a computer desk in the kitchen or even in the living room. Parents should have a "view anytime" policy of the screen.

Email
As children get older, they most certainly will want an email address of their own. With email, it is nearly impossible to filter out spam - especially using web-based email offered by the major portals. While legislation to protect children and adults from dangerous emails has increased, there are still plenty of people sending out emails that lead to improper material or have viruses attached to them.

Viruses in email are especially heinous. They can crash your whole system or remove files. Email viruses can even lead hackers to your computer, putting your personal information like banking and credit card IDs, passwords, and social security numbers at risk. Your child clicking on an attachment or opening a questionable email can put you at risk for identity theft.

If you decide to let your children have an email account or address, make sure they NEVER submit it to any web site, or mail people they do not know. Spammers have programs that spider web pages on message boards and guestbooks to collect email addresses.

Predators also scan sites directed at kids for their email addresses. Just as children can easily pose as an adult in the online world, so can adults pose as other children. Know what sites your children are going to and learn how to use the History feature on your browser. You should also know your child's ID and password to their email, so YOU can check it at any time.

Instant Messaging
Today, it seems, IM'ing (instant messaging) has replaced talking on the phone for teens. Both email and instant messaging can open your child and your PC to problems. Instant messaging is also an opening for predators.

As children move into the teen years, IM'ing is nearly a social requisite. NEVER let your children answer unsolicited IM's from people they don't know. This is why it is important to have a clear view of your monitor at all times. A helpful way to use instant messaging is to explain to your child that IM'ing should not, or will not, be considered private conversation. If your child is IM'ing from their computer desk, it should be like the other people they are IM'ing with are right in the room with you. Harmful viruses can also be attached to instant messages, too.

Go through your child's Buddy List from time to time and ask them to identify each and every ID on their list. Don't be surprised if some kids have multiple ID's. It is also a good idea to limit your child to only one or two IDs, and maybe even change them over time. Acquaint yourself with popular acronyms used in IM'ing. You will be surprised at what is out there. A simple search of "popular IM acronyms" should give you plenty of helpful information.

Blogs
Blogs have grown exponentially in the last two or three years. The term is short for web log, which is basically an online diary. It is essentially web publishing with a few short clicks and it is voraciously popular with teens. One reason is they can have a publisher's favorite photos and music attached to them. Another big reason is that their friends (or anybody that comes across it) can subscribe to the content posted on them. If your child subscribes to one, they can be alerted via email when it is updated with new content. Ask your child if they surf or use sites like these. Popular ones are Xanga and Blogger.

Though teens blog quite frequently, adults do too. They can be written by any body on any subject (consider that for a moment). Search engines do spider them, so they can be, and frequently are, included in search results.

If your child has a blog, make sure they do not post pictures of themselves on it. Their email, IM handles, home address, or phone number should not be posted either. Educate with yourself about the various capabilities of the blog system used. Know who is subscribing to your child's blog, and which blogs your child subscribes to.

Again, like dealing with instant messaging, go through your child's blog and positively ID any subscribers. Check out which blogs your child subscribes to, and use the History feature on your browser.

Using these tips will help you and your child get the most out of their computer usage and their computer desk.