The Premier of Ontario put his foot down this past week about restrictions on access to porn in schools and libraries, saying that it's not up to the government to impose mandatory filters on these computers. His view is that education about what sites are safe to visit must start at home. With a limited number of schools and libraries offering built-in online filters, many parents want Premier Dalton McGuinty and his government to do more to restrict access to certain sites.
As a technology expert, and a parent, I often get asked about how to protect our children online. Many moms and dads I speak to fear technology to the point that they want to lock down household computers, which only frustrates their children. While they do want to educate their kids about the risks online, the reality is that many parents don’t even come close to possessing the same level of technical expertise as their children.
As a result, I think parents need to spend more time learning about the technology that their children are using. Once the learning starts, it’s then up to the adults in the household to set the rules in terms of technology use inside and outside the home. I would also argue that this learning doesn’t just pertain to computer use, but must apply to other devices in the home such as gaming consoles and mobile phones since these devices are also most likely connected to the Internet.
Here are three easy ways for parents to take more responsibility when it comes to protecting their kids on the Internet.
1. Set up a family computer in the living room
Although many children want to have computers in the privacy of their own bedrooms, when kids are still quite young it’s much safer to create a family workspace in one of your main living areas. The idea here is that mom and dad will be nearby and more involved in their children's Internet routines.
2. Discuss the many online risks with your children
Once a child starts using any web-enabled device, it’s time to have a conversation about what sites are appropriate to visit. This conversation should include active listening. In other words, find out where your kids want to go and establish rules to try to guide their surfing habits. Also, talk to your children about online risks, such as viruses and predators.
3. Educate yourselves on a regular basis
There are many tools online, including child-safe web browsers such as KidRocket.org, that work to control where your young ones are going online. However, as children grow up they want the freedom to surf beyond a set number of websites. Ask your kids what sites they are using and try to learn more about these sites. For example, if your child is spending hours a day on Facebook you should sign up for your own account and learn about the privacy settings offered within this site. The more you educate yourself, the more you can act as an advisor to your son or daughter as they explore the many educational, entertaining, and social sites that exist online.
As a technology expert, and a parent, I often get asked about how to protect our children online. Many moms and dads I speak to fear technology to the point that they want to lock down household computers, which only frustrates their children. While they do want to educate their kids about the risks online, the reality is that many parents don’t even come close to possessing the same level of technical expertise as their children.
As a result, I think parents need to spend more time learning about the technology that their children are using. Once the learning starts, it’s then up to the adults in the household to set the rules in terms of technology use inside and outside the home. I would also argue that this learning doesn’t just pertain to computer use, but must apply to other devices in the home such as gaming consoles and mobile phones since these devices are also most likely connected to the Internet.
Here are three easy ways for parents to take more responsibility when it comes to protecting their kids on the Internet.
1. Set up a family computer in the living room
Although many children want to have computers in the privacy of their own bedrooms, when kids are still quite young it’s much safer to create a family workspace in one of your main living areas. The idea here is that mom and dad will be nearby and more involved in their children's Internet routines.
2. Discuss the many online risks with your children
Once a child starts using any web-enabled device, it’s time to have a conversation about what sites are appropriate to visit. This conversation should include active listening. In other words, find out where your kids want to go and establish rules to try to guide their surfing habits. Also, talk to your children about online risks, such as viruses and predators.
3. Educate yourselves on a regular basis
There are many tools online, including child-safe web browsers such as KidRocket.org, that work to control where your young ones are going online. However, as children grow up they want the freedom to surf beyond a set number of websites. Ask your kids what sites they are using and try to learn more about these sites. For example, if your child is spending hours a day on Facebook you should sign up for your own account and learn about the privacy settings offered within this site. The more you educate yourself, the more you can act as an advisor to your son or daughter as they explore the many educational, entertaining, and social sites that exist online.