Internet Safety

Keeping a child safe should ideally be a prime concern of any responsible parent, however with the distraction of all the activities the adult world churns up, it is often easy for things to go by without the parent’s constant need to monitor. Computers There should be some attention given to the use on the internet by children as this is a window to the outside world where dangers are very much present at every turn and for the innocent and unsuspecting child, trouble can be the order of the day. A responsible parent should be able to have certain restriction in place when it comes to handling the issue of internet access for the child. Initially it would be wise to take the time to explain to the child the various negative issues that are prevalent through the use of the internet and ensure the child is fully aware of the negative consequences that would follow such negative use. Simply forbidding the child, would not deal with the problem adequately as not every child would obediently follow a parent’s instructions and restrictions. This is especially so when there is the added intervention of peer pressure to do something that would really be wise or safe. There are also tools that come in the form of various software that can aid the parent in initiating some control of what and how much web access the child is privy to. – 24 – Being aware of what the child is surfing for on the net and the contacts made through this platform is very important, as children are usually very trusting and are more likely to give out personal information to anyone they feel comfortable with. Children are also easily lured into doing things that are undesirable and will usually follow along until it becomes too late to pull out or object.