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Guide
Your Child Through the Internet
You're not alone as a parent if you're enticed by the
Internet and all its educational treasures, but worried that your child could stray into
the wrong area or have access to adult material. But now, thanks to some new tools, you
can effectively manage your child's "cyberspace" experience. All it takes is
some foresight and a willingness to roll up your sleeves and get involved.
Below are five simple steps you can take to guide your child
around the pitfalls and allow them to freely enjoy the tons of fun and learning provided
by the "Net."
Step One: Use the access control features offered by
your on-line service provider.
America Online*, Prodigy* and CompuServe* offer tools to
give parents control of where their kids may wander within each service's information
"departments." America Online, for example, has a "Parental Control"
center that allows mom or dad to manage entry to certain areas and features. You can limit
access to the Internet and select pre-designed adult content "block out" filters
designed for kids under 12 and teenagers.
Step Two: Install a cyberspace monitoring software
package.
There are a bunch of powerful and easy to load PC software
programs designed to manage what your kids will see in cyberspace. Programs like Net
Nanny* (Trove Investment, 1-800-340-7177), CYBERsitter* (Solid Oak Software,
1-800-388-2761), SurfWatch* (SurfWatch Software, 1-800-458-6600), and Cyber Patrol*
(Microsystems Software, 1-800-828-2608) put you in control. Once installed and active,
these programs constantly monitor and block access, if you wish, to adult content and
other sensitive "hot spots" on the Internet. Most of these products also allow
parents to set up a custom vigil for key words and topics they select.
Step Three: Talk to your kids before going on line.
Kids are trusting by nature. You need to inject a little
healthy skepticism. Don't assume they will automatically apply the golden rule of
"don't talk to strangers" when they "surf" the net. Unfortunately,
some adults with bad intent pose as kids to start up dialogs with unsuspecting children.
Be aware of who you're dealing with.
Step Four: Use a code name.
Make sure your kid uses a code name, not their real name if
they exchange messages on the Internet. Funny pseudonyms or cryptic combinations of
letters and numbers are a good security measure for everyone in the family.
Step Five: Set clear rules of engagement.
Instruct your kids to never give out their home address,
school name, or telephone number on the Internet without checking with you first.
For more information about child safety on the Internet,
check out the great articles at the web site for the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children. Other safety tips can be found at the "Project Open" web
site, operated by the Interactive Services Association.
If you have other suggestions for guiding children in
Cyberspace we'd like to hear from you. You can reach the PC Dads by writing TheDads@aol.com.
Mark Ivey and Ralph Bond, the PC
Dads(SM), are Technology Education Managers at Intel Corp. You can read more about PC
Dads(SM) and their adventures on their website at Intel's PC Dads(sm) Program.
They help families get all they can from their home PCs. email: TheDads@aol.com.
PCDads is reproduced by permission of Intel Corporation, © 1998 Intel Corporation
* Third-party marks and brands are the
property of their respective owners.
Suggestions? Feedback? We'd love to hear from you.
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