| The internet is a dangerous place for
| |
| | your child but your entire family in
|
| your children. Don't even begin to
| |
| | danger.I could go on and on about the
|
| believe that your child is safe. There
| |
| | dangers, but what do you do about it? Is
|
| are more dangers than you can possibly
| |
| | there anything that you can possibly do,
|
| imagine waiting to lure children to their
| |
| | short of unplugging the stupid computer,
|
| doom. You had better be aware of what's
| |
| | to protect your children?The first, and
|
| happening and take steps to shield them
| |
| | most important, thing that you should do
|
| from the danger ... if you don't, your
| |
| | is talk to your children. Believe it or
|
| child's sanity and safety are at serious
| |
| | not, children are intelligent beings, and
|
| risk.Does this sound alarmist? Actually,
| |
| | they will understand if you use words and
|
| I cannot stress this fact enough ... you
| |
| | concepts that they can comprehend.
|
| have to be just as careful with your five
| |
| | Explain the dangers, being patient and
|
| year old on the internet as you would in
| |
| | caring and understanding. It may take a
|
| the worst red-light district back alley
| |
| | few tries, but they are capable of
|
| in the darkest part of town. If you would
| |
| | learning, understanding and obeying. Just
|
| not allow your twelve year old wander
| |
| | be sure you do not portray the dangers as
|
| around a drug den or visit the sex shops
| |
| | something in any way desirable, and don't
|
| in San Francisco, then why on Earth are
| |
| | forbid them to explore, just explain
|
| you letting him or her loose on the
| |
| | what's going on.The second, and equally
|
| internet without supervision?Let's look
| |
| | important, thing to remember is that even
|
| at some of the dangers that exist on the
| |
| | if your children do understand and
|
| internet. The most obvious issue is
| |
| | comprehend what you tell them - you
|
| pornography. There are dirty pictures,
| |
| | should still protect them. Do not let
|
| video, sounds, movies and anything else
| |
| | them surf the internet unsupervised if
|
| you can imagine available everywhere on
| |
| | you can help it. Watch them on the web
|
| the web. In fact, it's often difficult to
| |
| | and be sure you know where they are
|
| surf without running into a pornographic
| |
| | going.Every once in a while, check over
|
| site occasionally. Just type
| |
| | the computer that your child has been
|
| "whitehouse.com", expecting to get a page
| |
| | using to see what they've been doing.
|
| about the white house and you'll see that
| |
| | Look at the cookies, the browser history
|
| you get a pornographic site.Oh, and it's
| |
| | and at images and such stored on the hard
|
| not just your run of the mill
| |
| | drive. I know it sounds like spying, but
|
| pornography, no, there is much worse
| |
| | it's important to know what they are up
|
| stuff available to anyone who cares to
| |
| | to before they get into trouble. And oh
|
| look. Your child can find pictures which
| |
| | yes, if you find something, just wait for
|
| will curl your toes at the sheer
| |
| | an opportunity to "discover" what they
|
| perversity of the images. While
| |
| | are doing without giving away that you
|
| intelligent people can debate whether or
| |
| | are looking over their shoulder. Then use
|
| not any of this material should be
| |
| | this as a means of getting into a
|
| available, even to adults, at all, no one
| |
| | discussion with them. You should also
|
| with any conscience and trace of goodness
| |
| | take maximum advantage of any and all
|
| can say it is okay for children to have
| |
| | parental controls that are available to
|
| access to this stuff.Not only is
| |
| | you. Use a product such as NetNanny or
|
| pornography a danger, but the cyber world
| |
| | Cyber Babysitter to control your child's
|
| is full of other horrible things (just
| |
| | surfing habits. Set the parental controls
|
| like the real world). Without much work,
| |
| | of your browser and the major search
|
| your child can easily surf to sites which
| |
| | engines (most of them have a way to
|
| espouse hatred, nazi values, and page
| |
| | filter out adult content).Does this sound
|
| after page of extremely graphic, real
| |
| | extreme? Any psychiatrist will tell you
|
| violence. I even know of some parents who
| |
| | it is. They will tell you should allow
|
| were horrified to find that what they
| |
| | your children to explore at will, along
|
| thought were harmless Anime (a style of
| |
| | with lots of other, similar garbage. But
|
| Japanese cartons) sites that turned out
| |
| | would you trust your children to the
|
| to be hard core, extremely graphic
| |
| | people who funded Adolf Hitler, who give
|
| animated sex galleries.Of course, I'm
| |
| | drugs to your children in school and who
|
| sure you've all heard of the dangers of
| |
| | claim that hardened criminals are really
|
| unsupervised chat rooms. I have heard
| |
| | just misunderstood and unloved. (That's a
|
| that older men hang out in them, waiting
| |
| | subject for a future article perhaps -
|
| for trusting, innocent children. They
| |
| | how we can improve our civilization and
|
| start up conversations, and before long
| |
| | bring peace to the world by lining all of
|
| your child might attempt to travel to
| |
| | the psychiatrist's up on the nearest
|
| meet a nice man - and never come
| |
| | wall).Anyway, digressions aside, the
|
| back.You've got other, more subtle,
| |
| | responsible thing to do is to ensure that
|
| dangers as well. Your child might surf
| |
| | your children are safe, just like you
|
| the internet and find some cool site
| |
| | would if they were wandering around in
|
| which asks for personal information. Not
| |
| | the mall or in the red light district of
|
| knowing any better, he or she might enter
| |
| | a big city. If you don't, you may find
|
| your social security number, address,
| |
| | yourself taking up a new hobby - looking
|
| phone number or even your credit card
| |
| | at milk cartons.
|
| numbers. This could actually put not just
| |
| |
|