Internet Usage for Your Child

The Internet excels as an arena for sharing ideas and information because of its liberal and efficient nature. Anyone with access to a computer and a modem can post (nearly) whatever they want on a webpage. This allows for tremendous access to ideas and opinions but also serves as a staging ground for potentially unseemly viewing and reading for your child.

To ensure that your child sees only appropriate material, make sure your child is viewing material that is only screened through parental control settings. If you have a computer at home, access your computer’s Internet preferences to block categories of websites that you find unacceptable. If you do not have a computer or at home, or if your computer does not permit the “block” setting, have your child access the Web through the local library. Most library computers come set with parentally controlled website preferences and are under constant surveillance by the librarians.