Safe Internet Practice
Parents want to provide their
children with all the tools necessary for the future. The Internet is
a powerful resource that plays an important role in the education of children.
In 2002, it is estimated that 560 million people are online around the
world. By 2004, it is projected that 945 million will have online access.
In Canada, 99% of Canadian youth have used the Internet at some time,
and 79% have access at home. About 48% use the Internet for one hour each
day. *
While the Internet offers enormous
positive advantages to empower individuals, there are also risks for those
who do use it. Many individuals who communicate over the Internet with
your children may be unknown to them; good judgement should be exercised
when talking with strangers. Just as we protect our family from strangers
who come into our home, it is important to protect them from people who
can gain access to our home by way of the Internet.
What are Your Children Doing on the Internet?
Direct communication on the Internet
can happen in several ways - through e-mail, chat rooms, and via instant
messaging.
E-mail is the sending of electronic
messages and files to individuals or groups who can then respond in their
own time. It is one of the most popular methods of communicating because
it is quick, efficient, and fun.
In chat rooms, users connect to
a network of servers to chat/type messages to each other in real time.
Full-time monitors - people who can screen inappropriate content - should
always be available for children who are using chat rooms. However, when
conversations are taken into private chat rooms, monitors no longer have
access.
Instant messaging is a personal
network or controlled list of people to talk to in real time. These lists
let users know who else is online.
Some Ways You Can Practice Internet Safety
1. Set rules for using the computer.
- Determine who can use the computer.
- Locate the computer in a common area where activities are easily observed.
- Decide the access times and the costs associated with being on the
computer.
2. Set rules for personal protection.
- Keep personal information safe. Children need guidance about what
information they can give out safely over the Internet. Personal identity
information including: name, address, phone number, age, gender, photographs,
PIN number, credit card details, school name, and school address should
never be given out to unknown individuals without parental permission.
- Keep passwords private. Make passwords easy for a child to remember
but hard for others to guess. Stress the importance of keeping a password
private.
- Establish what is unacceptable communication. Politeness and clarity
ensure that the tone of the conversation will not be misunderstood when
communicating only in words. Check the etiquette of the Web site and
follow their rules.
- Let your child respond only to messages from people that you personally
know and trust. They should not accept or respond to unknown files.
Children should be taught to recognize uncomfortable situations, and
they should know how to react in a safe manner. Above all, be aware
of what your children are doing, and with whom they are communicating.
Technology can Help You
Become informed about the type
of technology available to keep your family safe on the Internet. Technology
can provide some assurances to protect your family, computers, and files
from outsiders.
Filtering Software filters
or blocks access to objectionable or unacceptable Web sites, chat rooms,
e-mail, and instant messaging. Filters can be programmed by parents and/or
software companies, and should be updated on a regular basis. However,
filtering software is not foolproof.
Firewalls protect the
contents on your computer against people who want to access it for personal
information or to corrupt files. Firewalls may record traffic that has
attempted to gain entry into computer files, and can often identify those
trespassers.
Walled Gardens provide
subscribers with access to selected Web sites that have been pre-approved
for content. They offer the highest level of safety against the access
of unsuitable materials.
Child Search Engines
or Safe Portals are gateways or access points onto the Internet.
They monitor linked Web sites.
Virus Protection Software detects
and protects computer files from programs that can destroy or corrupt
files. Viruses are most often downloaded through e-mail, Web sites, or
from sharing diskettes. New viruses are always being created; therefore,
virus protection software needs to be updated regularly.
The best way to know what your
children are doing on the Internet is to get involved. Join a chat room,
surf the Web, share an e-mail account with them, and access the new world
for yourself.
Internet Safety Web Sites
Safe Passage:Teaching Kids to be
Safe and Responsible Online
https://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/internet/safe_passage_parents/index.cfm
Chat room safety tips
https://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/internet/safe_passage_parents/chatrooms_safety_p.cfm
� Internet checklist for parents
https://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/tip_sheets/internet_checklists/
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Why parents need to know what their children
are doing online
Canada's Children in a Wired
World: The Parents' View . Prepared for Industry Canada, Health Canada,
and Human Resources Development Canada by the Media Awareness Network,
based on analysis by Environics Research Group. This survey of over 1000
Canadian parents offers insight into their opinions about their childern's
Internet use, the benefits and risks of the Internet, and discusses measures
for addressing Internet safety and monitoring online content.
https://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/special_initiatives/
survey_resources/parents_survey/cciaww_parents_k_findings.cfm
Young Canadians in a Wired
World: The Students' View . Prepared for the Media Awareness Network
and the Government of Canada by Environics Research Group. This survey
of nearly 6000 Canadian students looks at what they do online, and how
they perceive the Internet.
https://www.connect.gc.ca/cyberwise/pdf/wired_e.pdf
� Web Awareness for Parents - Managing
the Internet at Home
https://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/special_initiatives/
wa_resources/wa_parents/tipsheets/managing_net_at_home.cfm
�
Elmer the Safety Elephant discusses
travelling the information highway safely on this Canada Safety Council
Web site.
https://www.safety-council.org/info/child/internet.html
https://www.elmer.ca/english/thinksafe/internet/index.htm#
* From Young Canadians in a Wired World: The Students' View ,
October 2001.
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