The Internet is a new way for children to develop their mind and experiences. Parent’s guidance will help the child explore and develop their skills. Parent’s supervision will make Internet activities more creative, positive and educational.
Most information on the Internet is important and instructive, but a user can also get information that is illegal and offensive. So it’s better to manage Internet sessions at the library or home. By doing this you (the parent) control the online risks associated with Internet use.
Keep the following points in mind while supervising your child’s internet use.
- Ask your child to use any other name instead of their real name before entering bulletin boards, chat rooms and other public rooms.
- Be careful about online activities. If the search is unpleasant to you, explain to your child about the material, that it is wrong and will cause him/her damage later.
- Don’t allow your child to have face-to-face meetings with another system user without your consent. Be sure to assist your child in case a meeting is arranged.
- If you feel the content on the internet is aggressive, obscene, frightening or not comfortable, ask them to ignore it. Contact your service provider for assistance.
- Make internet use a family activity. Try to keep the system in a family room instead of his or her bedroom.
- Know your child’s online friends. Ask about them in detail.
- Have rules and regulations for using the system, like the amount of time spent on the system.
- Know the Internet services used by your child, and learn to block objectionable material.
- Service providers have special online services for children, which have restrictions in accessing the chat rooms and few sites. Opt for such services.
- You should also see and check if they are sending pictures or any other personal information.
- Decide the length of time and appropriate areas, when and where your child can be online.
- There are some filtering software available in the market, which filters and block access to adult Internet sites.
- Do not give your child passwords of personal sites.
The objective is to explore, describe and explain variables related to the use of the Internet by your child. This can be done very well under parent supervision.
