General Guidlenes For Children Internet Use

The Internet exposes children to a whole new world which can contribute greatly to their education and can be very enjoyable. The Internet is a virtual world that represents the good and the bad of the real world. When our children surf the Internet they are exposed to both. The growth in Internet popularity is followed by a growth in immoral and criminal activities on the web. Hackers, crackers, web bullies, identity thieves, child predators all of them and more are out there in the cyber world.

In the same way we put boundaries for our children in the real world we should do so in the cyber world. Of course in a virtual world with no physical boundaries and where the authenticity of communication is questionable it is very hard.

In order to protect our children and educate them to safe and productive Internet activities we should become Internet savvy and get familiar with our children's Internet experience. It is not enough to trust our children in the hands of parental control products. These products can give added value only if they are joined with educational efforts and involvement in the child's Internet activities.

To ensure children safety on the web it is important to define clear guidelines regarding Internet use. Every family has its guidelines for what is considered to be appropriate behavior. This also applies to Internet usage. These guidelines can be adjusted for each child in the family based on different factors, such as age and maturity level. That said, there are general recommendations for children Internet use, that if followed can minimize the risks that children encounter when surfing.

General Guidelines:

1. Keep the communication channels with your child open. Show an interest in your child's Internet activities. Supervise your child when surfing the Internet. It is important to try to understand your children experience when surfing the web, in order for you to guide and assist them.
2. Be a role model to your child. Constantly talk with your child on what is right and what is wrong when surfing the web.
3. Become Internet savvy. If you have knowledge about services and applications that are available on the Internet, you will be more effective when guiding your children. Sit with your children when they are surfing and try to learn as much you can about their habits. If you feel you don't have enough knowledge you can use this website and other Internet security websites (see www.In3Go.com - Helpful Links ) in order to gain more knowledge and confidence. In addition, you can also talk with other parents.
4. Explain to your children about Internet threats they may encounter when using the Internet and suggest suitable responses.
5. Create a list of suitable websites. Give your children a list of websites that you find suitable for their age and that may interest them. Update this list on a regular basis with new websites in order to keep your kids interested. Once in a while, check if the websites you have selected are still suitable.
6. Make sure that the PC your child is using is in a family space , so you can supervise them.
7. Define clear guidelines for your children regarding Internet use. Different families may have different guidelines, but it is important that your children are aware of what you expect from them. Define the guidelines according to the child's age group (see www.In3Go.com - Internet Use By Age ) . You can also define an Internet use policy that your child will be obligated to (see www.In3Go.com - Internet Use Policies ).
8. Instruct your child not to give away private information online. Private information may include: name, last name, home address, email address, home phone number, parents' work phone number or place of work, school, passwords etc. This private information should not be exposed on any of the online communication tools that the child is using, such as: email, IM(=Instant Message), chatrooms, forums, virtual worlds etc.
9. Help your children to create a safe username. If your children encounter websites which require using a username or a nickname, help them to create a nickname that will not reveal private information, gender or age. For example, never use year of birth in a nickname which can reveal age ("Sara1995").
10. Supervise upload of personal photos. Instruct your child not to send or upload to the web personal photos or family photos without adult approval.
11. Encourage your children to let you know if they encounter any strange behavior or behavior that caused them an uncomfortable feeling, when they surf the Internet.
12. You can use parental control tools and products that filter and/or monitor Internet surfing in order to control your children's Internet activities (see www.In3Go.com - Parental Control Products).
13. Install and use firewall and anti-virus programs that protects the PC from installation of malicious software.