Children use the internet for many purposes, including doing research for school papers and- projects, staying in touch with friends through e-mail and playing games with other children all over the world. There are endless entertaining possibilities online for kids looking for a way to spend their time and, while many of these options are safe, productive ways to spend time, others are not only not suitable for kids, they are also dangerous.
There are many ways that parents can protect their children from internet hazards. Parents can place the family computer in a central location with a lot of household traffic, the kitchen or living room, for example. Parents should also set up rules for internet use and let their children know which sites are appropriate and which are not. However, one of the most important things a parent can do is consider putting an internet filter on their computer.
Internet filtering is available to helps parents and can protect children in several ways. Most filters are flexible and allow parents to adjust the settings to fit their needs. Internet filtering typically, by default, blocks pornographic sites and sites with inappropriate language; it can keep online predators away from children, too. Many parents think internet filtering might be too restrictive or that it applies to them as well; however, internet filtering is a very flexible way to keep children safe online. It can be set to different levels to restrict certain subjects, depending on parents’ views and the age of a child. Internet filtering can be as strict as only allowing children to go to a couple of select websites or as lenient as allowing children to visit just about any site they choose, except for the few that a parent has decided are not appropriate, such as sites containing violent images or vulgar language.
Internet filters can block pornographic sites
Children can easily, accidentally come upon pornographic sites, which are very harmful to children, on the internet. Internet filtering can block pornographic sites by using a URL, or address, filter, a word filter, using either a default list of words or words selected by parents, or by turning on filters which use a bad site list; parents can even add additional sites to the list. Since internet filters have a myriad of ways to block pornographic sites, they do an excellent job keeping children safe from porn.
Internet filters can block websites containing inappropriate language
There are millions and millions of websites that contain language inappropriate for children. Even if a parent were to be in the same room as their child when the child is using the internet the parent may not be able to tell if a site contains inappropriate words. Internet filtering can block websites that contain language that should not be read by young eyes.
Internet filters can protect children from online predators
Children love to use the internet to chat with their friends or make new friends and there are many chat rooms available to assist children in keeping in touch with or meeting other children. However, the “kids” that children are chatting with may not be children at all. They could be online sexual predators waiting for a child willing to give them personal information. This danger is real but internet filtering can help by blocking access to certain chat rooms as well as shutting down chat rooms when key words, such as ‘address’ or ‘phone number’ are typed. This can help keep children safe by keeping them away from online predators.
