BandwidthBar

A broadband ADSL connection to the Internet is a very useful tool for children. The Internet is full of useful information that is freely available to help them with school projects or just to educate themselves. But at the same time the Internet is also full of dangerous material and other hazards that could be harmful to them. With broadband Internet parents need to be aware of the dangers and how to combat them.

 

The advantages of a broadband Internet connection are pretty obvious: improved access to information and easy communication; but for children there are a number of dangers that parents should be aware of. What are the possible dangers of the Internet to a child?
• Children could come across disturbing or explicit information or images.
• Children could unwittingly open or share files that expose the family to unscrupulous individuals or viruses.
• Children may become the victims of online bullying where other users try to intimidate, embarrass or spread false rumours about them.
• Children may come across sexual predators that pose as children in hopes of befriending children and persuading them to meet in person.
These are some of the obvious dangers, but the Internet can hold many other less obvious dangers as well. That is why it is important to ensure that your children surf safe if you have a broadband ADSL connection.

 

Protecting your children from the dangers on the Internet should be a combination of education and prevention. There is a lot of software available to help filter out sites that you do not want your children to visit but children also need to be educated in the safe use of the Internet. Talk to your children about what kinds of sites are safe and check to make sure that they remain within these limits. It is important that you know what your child is doing online – after all, it is for their own safety. Also remind your children that their identity is private and that they should never share this information with anyone on the Internet.

 

If your children are members of social networking sites or like to chat online then you, the parent, need to be involved. Teach your children that if they receive any messages or pictures that are obscene, disturbing, abusive or threatening to tell a responsible adult as soon as possible. Always monitor what your child is doing while in a chat room or on a social networking site – who they are talking to, what they are talking about, etc.

 

Another useful guideline for keeping child safe surfing on your broadband connection is to use filtering software. Programmes like Net Nanny, Cyber Patrol and McAfee Internet Security can screen out inappropriate sites and images. They can be customised to suit your family’s needs. These programmes are not foolproof but can serve as a useful and powerful tool to help protect your children while they are surfing.

 

Just because the family computer is safe doesn’t mean that your child may not still be able to access undesired information via your broadband ADSL connection. Game consoles (both stationary and handheld) can access the Internet. While these communities tend to be a little more moderated, it is important that you teach your children to practice the same safety measures on them as with the computer.

 

The Internet really is an incredible source of information. The millions of pages contain information on just about anything in the world. Sadly there are some less savoury things in between all this information and children need to be protected from it. Educating your children to surf safely is the first step to ensuring that your broadband ADSL connection doesn’t end up hurting more than helping.

 

<< Back