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