5 Steps to Internet Safety for Kids
By <a href="http://www.free-articles-zone.com/author/21994%22%3EJR Lang
</a>
While the Internet has certainly brought a wealth of information, convenience and has a made the world a much smaller place, the Internet has its liabilities and especially so for children, teens and all minors. The responsibility of protecting children from online dangers lies with parents. There are several steps you can take to provide Internet safety for kids.
One solution, which some parents choose, is to completely restrict their children from using the Internet. This solution while keeping your children safe is not always the best option. One, the Internet is here to stay, it is an important part of everyday life, and its use is a skill that is often required by schools and in the work place. Also, if you just tell your kids that they cannot have or use the Internet then you eliminate the opportunity to teach them how to use it safely. So, if they do use it when they are away from you, (which believe me does happen, even with the best of kids) at a friends house or school then they will not have the tools they need to stay safe. Having talks and discussions with children about the risks is very important, and as a parent you should set certain limits and keep the conversation open in regards to Internet safety.
The following are 5 hands-on steps you can take to teach, limit and restrict children while they are online and therefore provide Internet safety for your kids.
5 Steps to Internet Safety for Kids:
1. Have a conversation with your kids. Explain to them, in as much detail as their age will allow some of the dangers that exist online. For example, that strangers in chat rooms, are just that, strangers. That they should never agree to meet anyone, give out their phone numbers, personal information like address etc. The same conversation that you had with them about not talking to strangers applies even more so when online, so use that and extend it further. Remember that most of these steps will only apply to computers you have at home. When your children are away from you they will have access to other computers and that is when those conversations will be the guidance that ensures their safety.
2. There is software available, which can help to protect your children from any content that is not appropriate for them. Software like, Microsoft Windows Vista Parental Controls, helps parents to manage, monitor and administer the use of the computer by children. The software, Windows Live OneCare Family Safety, filters certain chosen information and even a child's searches can be blocked by filtering certain keywords.
3. All web browsers allow for parental control settings. You can make personalized adjustments from the browser to set limits that you desire and to insure your child's safety.
4. You can increase children's safety by creating Limited User Accounts for your children from your Administrative Account. This restricts children from changing system settings, installing any new software which includes chat programs, games, etc. You can see the help section of your Operating System for detailed instructions on how to create User Accounts. This is a simple process and the instructions are step by step.
5. Be active and be a snoop. Yes a snoop, keep track of the websites that your kids are surfing. You can view all websites that they visited in the History List or Cookies from the web browser. You can even see the email addresses, correspondence and downloaded files. If you see something inappropriate or dangerous take the necessary parental actions. Sometimes we want to be our children's friend but we have to always be parents first.
Always remember that these are concrete steps that will provide Internet safety for your kids and protect them while they are online and still allow them to get the benefits of using and learning to use the Internet.
JR Lang is a computer applications specialist and a parent, if you would like to read more about computers, and to browse all laptops and accessories at very cheap prices please visit her website: Used Cheap Laptops and Cheap Laptop Computers.
Article Source: <a href='http://www.articles.co.il/article.php?id=148350'>http://www.free-articles-zone.com</a>
5 Steps to Internet Safety for Kids
By <a href="http://www.free-articles-zone.com/author/21994%22%3EJR Lang
</a>
While the Internet has certainly brought a wealth of information, convenience and has a made the world a much smaller place, the Internet has its liabilities and especially so for children, teens and all minors. The responsibility of protecting children from online dangers lies with parents. There are several steps you can take to provide Internet safety for kids.
One solution, which some parents choose, is to completely restrict their children from using the Internet. This solution while keeping your children safe is not always the best option. One, the Internet is here to stay, it is an important part of everyday life, and its use is a skill that is often required by schools and in the work place. Also, if you just tell your kids that they cannot have or use the Internet then you eliminate the opportunity to teach them how to use it safely. So, if they do use it when they are away from you, (which believe me does happen, even with the best of kids) at a friends house or school then they will not have the tools they need to stay safe. Having talks and discussions with children about the risks is very important, and as a parent you should set certain limits and keep the conversation open in regards to Internet safety.
The following are 5 hands-on steps you can take to teach, limit and restrict children while they are online and therefore provide Internet safety for your kids.
5 Steps to Internet Safety for Kids:
1. Have a conversation with your kids. Explain to them, in as much detail as their age will allow some of the dangers that exist online. For example, that strangers in chat rooms, are just that, strangers. That they should never agree to meet anyone, give out their phone numbers, personal information like address etc. The same conversation that you had with them about not talking to strangers applies even more so when online, so use that and extend it further. Remember that most of these steps will only apply to computers you have at home. When your children are away from you they will have access to other computers and that is when those conversations will be the guidance that ensures their safety.
2. There is software available, which can help to protect your children from any content that is not appropriate for them. Software like, Microsoft Windows Vista Parental Controls, helps parents to manage, monitor and administer the use of the computer by children. The software, Windows Live OneCare Family Safety, filters certain chosen information and even a child's searches can be blocked by filtering certain keywords.
3. All web browsers allow for parental control settings. You can make personalized adjustments from the browser to set limits that you desire and to insure your child's safety.
4. You can increase children's safety by creating Limited User Accounts for your children from your Administrative Account. This restricts children from changing system settings, installing any new software which includes chat programs, games, etc. You can see the help section of your Operating System for detailed instructions on how to create User Accounts. This is a simple process and the instructions are step by step.
5. Be active and be a snoop. Yes a snoop, keep track of the websites that your kids are surfing. You can view all websites that they visited in the History List or Cookies from the web browser. You can even see the email addresses, correspondence and downloaded files. If you see something inappropriate or dangerous take the necessary parental actions. Sometimes we want to be our children's friend but we have to always be parents first.
Always remember that these are concrete steps that will provide Internet safety for your kids and protect them while they are online and still allow them to get the benefits of using and learning to use the Internet.
JR Lang is a computer applications specialist and a parent, if you would like to read more about computers, and to browse all laptops and accessories at very cheap prices please visit her website: Used Cheap Laptops and Cheap Laptop Computers.
Article Source: <a href='http://www.articles.co.il/article.php?id=148350'>http://www.free-articles-zone.com</a>
MySpace safety enhanced by software
By <a href="http://www.free-articles-zone.com/author/21295%22%3EKassia Macy
</a>
Socializing is one of the preferred activities among teenagers. The more friends a teenager has, the better he or she feels. With the widespread of the internet, teenagers are now socializing through various websites that allow them to develop friendships.
However, these types of websites are also home to a lot of suspicious users that are waiting for a chance to take advantage of the naïve and gullible teenage users. These online predators can be avoided with the necessary precautions. Even so, some teenagers are foolish enough to disclose personal information that can result in a very unpleasant outcome.
If you want a relevant example about how serious this problem is, a girl was raped at a party she threw for her MySpace friends. If that is not serious, then I don’t know what is. The use of the internet is meant for fun, information and business, but the sad fact is that online predators like the one mentioned afore exist and continue to appear.
This is why MySpace safety should be a relevant day to day worry for parents. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticizing the website itself, because it can be fun and you can make a lot of great friends. But you need to be 100% certain about the person at the other end before you start sharing personal information.
MySpace safety involves a few stages. The first and most important of them all is talking to your child. Try to engage in a casual conversation and reach this topic. Try to get as much information as you can out of them so you can understand what they are doing. Also you should try to explain the dangers they are exposing themselves and the rest of the family in case they disclose personal information.
Perhaps you have an open relationship with your children and the talk you engaged in will be the defining factor in MySpace safety. But what if that is not the case? What if your child decides that you don’t know what you are talking about and engages in various suspicious activities?
It is your decision whether you trust your child enough to leave it like that. However, I said once and I will keep saying it, teens are all about breaking rules. Because of this you should appeal to a parental control software program to increase MySpace safety and get some peace of mind.
Parental control software is a program that can help you monitor the activities that go on with your computer or the computer of your child when you are not around. This can be of great help to see what they have been doing while you were at work or out with other things to do.
There are many useful features that parental control software can use to enhance your knowledge of online activities undertaken by your child and thus improve the level of safety. Even though it sounds like you are intruding in their personal lives, it is better to know they are safe.
If you are interested in purchasing reliable parental control software, be sure to visit spyonyourkids.com. This program allows you to view suspicious emails and chat room discussions, block harmful websites, view Myspace private profiles and more.
The problems of being a parent will never end. The newest problem that has emerged is the difficulty of MySpace safety. The website mentioned afore offers parental control software that will help you in your quest of knowing your child is safe.
Article Source: <a href='http://www.articles.co.il/article.php?id=145098'>http://www.free-articles-zone.com</a>
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