Web Safety For Kids

safe
The perils faced by the current generation of children are far removed from the negatives that would have been encountered by their predecessors a decade or more ago. Parents no longer just have to worry about a dirty magazine being passed around the schoolyard, or their child hearing swear words in-between lessons; thanks to the internet, content worse than these two traditional examples is available at the fingertips of any computer user. As computing technology becomes more widespread and as many children are granted their own devices, the possibility of them coming across negative content is likely to increase; how can you protect your children from these net nasties?

Setting up a web content filter is the easiest, most rest-assured way parents can guarantee their children’s safety on the internet. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will allow subscribers to set up filters that block access to adult content and other suggestible sites. To access said content, all you need enter is a password. Often these services have to be offered to customers; in the United Kingdom legislation exists that means all ISPs must offer filters to their new customers.

That’s not to say you’ll always require a filter however. Across the internet, the vast majority of websites that feature content that is for an adult audience have taken it upon themselves to install age-verification settings and questions on to their sites. Take Springbokcasino, an online gaming site that features casino games where players can spend and win real cash; when a user tries to access the site, they must provide their date of birth information, and when a customer signs up to the site their details are checked and verified to ensure that they are of the right age. To play any of the site’s games, login info for a valid profile must be inputted in order for the games to be played, thus keeping minors away from the interior of the site.

Often, the most straightforward method to keep your children safe online is to educate them in the dangers and pitfalls of using the internet. Now this approach does indeed require parents to be clued up on the tos and fros of the net, but by simply telling your child that certain negative sites shouldn’t be frequented, that they should stay on well known, secure websites whilst surfing, and that if they do see anything negative online that they should tell their parents immediately. This way, a large amount of the mystery surrounding the more lewd and unscrupulous aspects of the web will be removed in the eyes of the child.

This article was especially written for Monsters Ed by Alex Saunders – Marketing Specialist