The Internet is the great place that comes with enormous amount of information and resources for everyone. But for parents it poses new challenges as the Internet medium is highly interactive and very much people-oriented when it comes to personal communication, unlike with TV and radio. Some people use the Internet to promote things that we do not want our children to be exposed to, e.g. pornography, illegal gambling and other unsuitable materials.
Should you stop your children from using the Internet? No, the Internet is useful for them to communicate with people (classmates, friends and family); do research for their studies, playing games and much more. It is rich source of information but also poses danger if they are not careful and made aware. There are things that you can do to protect your children, just like dealing with real life problems.
So, what can you do as a parent?
- Learn about the Internet and the possible risks.
- Spend time with your child and get involved in their life to learn about their online interest and experience.
- Keep the computer in the family area to better monitor your child's activity.
- Teach your children to end any online activity when he or she feels uncomfortable or scared by logging off or telling you or a trusted adult (school teacher) as soon as possible.
- Discuss with your children the difference between advertising and educational or entertaining content and show them an example of each.
- Help them to choose a login name and make sure it doesn't reveal any personal information about them.
- Insist that your children respect the property of others online. Explain to them that making illegal copies of other people's work (music or movie), video games, and other programs is just like stealing it from a store.
- Tell your children that they should never meet online friends in person. Explain that online friends may not be who they say they are.
- Control your children's online activity with advance Internet software. Parental control can help you filter out harmful content, monitor the site your child visit, and find out what they do there.
- Teach your kids that not everything they read or see online is true. Encourage them to ask you if they're not sure.
- Tell them to never reveal their personal information about themselves or their family to anyone.
