What are some of the things to consider when setting the house rules for Internet usage? You should think of all the Internet users in your home. Consider the ages and their interests. Who will be using the Internet and how long do you want them to use it? You should ask yourself these and many other questions before setting the rules for Internet usage in your home.
Where is the computer with the Internet access going to be located? This is a major question for families with older children. You may think you are doing your kids a favor by letting them have their own computer but you may be hurting them. Your Internet should be in a place easily accessible to everyone in the family and be able to be monitored easily. There is just too much risk for kids with Internet access in their rooms. They are still kids and need to be monitored with a computer in a highly frequented area they are less likely to visit questionable sites.
Who is going to be using the Internet in your home? If you have young children you will need to consider if you want them using the Internet or not. Letting young children use the Internet is not a bad idea. They will need to be monitored more then their older siblings. Younger kids can benefit from Internet time by playing educational games with their favorite television characters. If there are older elementary kids or even teenagers in your home you need to consider what rules they should have. They too can benefit from using the Internet but will have to use more caution. For the adults in the home decide if you want to put rules on the usage of the Internet for them also.
How long can each person have to use the Internet? Will you allow the same amount of time for your kids no matter what the age? Younger kids don’t need a lot of time and will get bored or frustrated easily. The older kids don’t need a lot of time either, about an hour would be good enough. Any more and they could get in trouble. Look at making a daily time chart for the members of the household and how much time each one has for the day. Include adults also so the rules are fair to all members of the home.
What web sites are going to be allowed? As the adult in the home you should have final say in what sites on the Internet should be allowed and which ones should not. Look into all the websites that your other family members either look at now or want to look at. Navigate these sites to see how family friendly they are. Do some research on the websites and ask around to find out some of the good and bad websites for all your Internet users.
If you are any other members of your household want to make their own web pages or blog sites then what are your rules? In general it is best not to allow personal photos that have names, dates, or places. You don’t want to give away anything that makes you a target for predators. You can do personal sites you just need to use some caution and what is put on there.
Will you allow on-line communities or social networking sites? Even for adults this is a risky area. You can still receive questionable materials through these sites. These sites aren’t bad if used with caution. Don’t put too much personal information on these sites. For the older kids in your home who may want to use these sites you should monitor closely what they do. Join their group so you can see who else logs onto their site.
Things to consider when setting house rules for Internet usage should include all the above plus other things that may come up as you use the Internet. You need to have the rules to keep your home and the members of your home safe. There may be more rules you need to consider as time goes on but these are some of the main things to consider.
