How Safe Is Your Child From The Internet?
I used to own an internet cafe. And some of my customers are kids playing online games and some researching for projects or assignments. Sometimes, I wonder if they are safe using the internet… so I provide some restrictions in sites that they can visit.
Nowadays, Almost each household now has a computer and has access on the Internet and almost every child knows to use the computer. The Internet can be a great place of resources for children. They can employ it to seek school reports, to communicate with professors and, friends and other children, and to play the interactive games. Any child who is enough old to punch in some letters on the keyboard can literally reach the world. But this access can also pose dangers with your children. For example, your 8 years could open a session with a Search Engine and seize the word “Lego”. But with Just a striking missed keystroke, him or she can enter the word “legs”, and is directed towards thousands of Web sites with contents focus on legs – some of which can contain the pornographic material. This is why it is important to realize of what your children see and hear on the Internet, of they meet, and what they divide about themselves online. Just like any exit of safety, it is an good idea of speaking with your children about your concern, benefiting from the resources to protect them from potential dangers, and to keep a narrow eye on their activities.
Web content ‘disturbing children’
Three out of four children have seen images on the internet that disturbed them, an NSPCC poll suggests.
The charity is renewing its call for computer manufacturers and retailers to install security to stop children finding violent or sexual content.
The NSPCC, which polled visitors to its children’s website There4me.com, said it was “alarmed” by the accessibility of potentially disturbing material.
Some 377 of 497 votes cast claimed to have been disturbed by internet images.
One child posted a comment on a There4me message board saying: “I’ve seen violent images I didn’t search for. I was freaked out.”
Another said his eight-year-old sister’s search for “pictures of animals” generated pornography adverts.
The NSPCC wants social networking and video hosting sites to remove offensive material within hours of finding it.
Policy adviser Zoe Hilton said the NSPCC was “alarmed” by how easy it was for children to access “disturbing internet material”.
She said: “Children are just a few clicks away from innocently stumbling across upsetting or even dangerous pictures and films such as adult sex scenes, violent dog fights, people self-harming and children being assaulted.”
‘More effort’
Ms Hilton said that every child should be using a computer with child protection software.
“High-security parental controls installed in their computers would help shield them.
“Currently computer manufacturers and retailers leave it to parents to find and install software that filters out material unsuitable for children. This can be a complicated process for customers.”
The charity wants retailers to ensure the software is installed before selling computers, and also manufacturers to start building such controls into their products.
She added: “Social networking sites must also put more effort and resources into patrolling their sites for harmful and offensive material and ensure their public complaints systems are clearly marked, easy-to-use and child-friendly.
“We would also recommend they give information on their sites about sources of help and advice, such as Childline, for children who have been affected by what they have seen.”
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23 Comments
The internet is a scary place for kids, there is no doubt about it. I would say there is only so much a parent can do and that software can do to protect the child from seeing disturbing images on the internet, but there is also only so much a parent can do to prevent a child from flipping threw a bad TV channel, off course I know the chances of seeing something bad on the internet is alot higher than the TV. Perhaps in the future there will be Ratings requirement for websites? I don’t know… but I am sure the internet landscape will change in the future, but personally.. I wouldn’t want it to.
Till then,
Jean
I think internet is like a match box , you can use it for lighting the candle in Tample or you can use for burning the house. I mean to say that it’s upon you that how take it.
The 12 year-old called Hanity on their own accord.
The “child internet video against Sarah Palin” was a put-up job by adults against Palin.
There is a qualitative difference between the two situations.
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Internet is the wonderfl Resource for Valued materials. I have seen kids doing some research at the earlier age itself. I dont think it is possible without the Internet Giant.
Internet is useful if kids are taking them as a huge advantage for learning or helpiing for their school assignments or any other preparations. Nowadays internet has such valuable sites that can give knowledge and some misuse is also done by kids if they are not guided well by parents. So the thing needs to consider here is to prevent them to misuse the internet and keep an eye while they are using it.
No doubt there are lots of danger materials you don’t want your children to visit at all on the internet. you will never what they find, who they know, and what they hear from. not just pornographic material we needed to be concern, gaming too. just watch videos off youtube, u can see kids r freak out about their game, this can seriously lead them to bad behavior, bad attitude, even bad on their school work. but playing once in a while is fun, just don’t go too deep on it.
We’ve used “Safe Eyes” for years to protect our kids online and found it has worked really well, but is never 100% safe, so what you say about talking to your kids, educating them, and keeping an eye on their activity, is so true, because the software can only do so much.
we should use security systems for our children like antiviruses e.g.
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That is why it is important to take care of your children if you decide to allow him acces to internet. As any other thing in life, children need to be educated about the internet too.
It is very disturbing what can be found online without even trying. Nefarious individuals will target kids who misspell or innocently go to sites that end up being not what they intended to see. Good article to help parents become more aware.
Educate your children regarding the good/bad of the internet – that is the only way long term.
I worry about such as this topic of Internet. Sometimes children don’t concentrate to their study due to use of internet. Wasting their valuable time. Safe eyes is good tool for it.
Internet is very useful for kids now.coz it educates the kid and helps out with their assignments.There are other images which can be very disturbing to watch so the parent have to watch over the child to make sure he does not come across such images.
There should be supervision of children while they are on the Internet. It is basiaclly the same as giving them access to all the good and bad information available. The technology to restrict where they go is good but not infalible.
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I think Bing has made it harder to stop kids from seeing things adults don’t want them to see. It’s impossible to keep your child safe apart from keeping your PC under lock and key.
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Protecting our kids is the overall priority. Talking to them and educating them to the dangers is the best way, but with a balance that they do not miss out on the positive advantages which the internet can bring.
Tom
Totally agree with you. Internet have its benefit and on the other part is the scary side of it. I’ve kids of my own too. I choose to let them explore the web freely as I think that restriction might leads to more curiosity.
I was young once too and I did get over it. I still believe it brings more benefits than damages.
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This article could almost read: “How safe are your parents from the internet”
It seems like those to whom I provide support are all well over my age.
Nowadays there are so many negative influences affecting kids. I wonder what this world is coming too.
Great post. we need to care of our child.
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One of my relatives dealt with this problem recently. Their kid was surfing all sorts of bad sites all day and they had no idea and now, they are worried.
Till then,
Jean
Well before they get to some age, children need some parental control because internet is a dangerous world. Anyway, when people grow everything gets used.
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