It’s getting harder to keep kids off of the internet. The web has become a social gathering place, shopping mall and research library of choice for many young people. Here are two online safety technologies recomended by the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI).
- Content blockers for younger kids. These tools give you some control over your kid’s online activities. A content blocker will block explicit content or limits a child’s searches to a set of sites that you chose for them. A content filter will scan sites and images and block those that contain inappropriate content.
- Tracking software for monitoring teenagers. These programs let you to see which sites your teens have visited. This tool allows teen’s fairly free access to the Internet, while allowing parents to monitor their activity. Let your kids know that you trust them but you’ll be checking from time to time to make sure their not being stalked.
Ultimately, you can’t control everything your kids do on the web ( or anywhere else). Talk to your kids about what they should and shouldn’t be doing on the web. Stay present in their lives and you’ll head off most problems before they start.
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