 |
A lot of kids are getting online these days--sharing data about acid rain, talking about social issues, meeting adults as well as kids, and learning about other cultures. There seems to be one of everything on the network. Just like any other form of media, the quality of this massive collection of information is uneven and unverifiable, and just like any bookstore, there is both good information and smut. Computer networks hold tremendous promise; however, it’s also home to people who don't have good intentions, who use their own anonymity to hurt others or their technical knowledge to steal from them. Not only are there unsavory individuals lurking out there in cyberspace, there are whole Web sites waiting to entice the immature, the easily swayed, and the vulnerable. Hate groups, for example, have discovered that the Net is an effective place to reach vast numbers. Some Web pages can teach your kids many useful and fun things, but bomb-making is probably not high on your list of activities for a Saturday afternoon. By now you’re shaking your head and pulling out your elected official’s phone number, but wait, let’s try to the put the problem into perspective. Generally, yes, it's safe for kids to use the Internet. To tell children to stop using these services just because crimes are being committed online would be like telling them to forgo attending college because students are sometimes victimized on campus. The number of sites on the Internet considered objectionable is somewhere between 1% - 3% (depending on your definition of "objectionable"), which leaves about 4.5 million other sites which are interesting and educational. Getting to the objectionable material also takes some sophisticated technical know-how. Unlike the bookstore where a child can just walk in and pick up a book from a shelf, the child who downloads pornography from the Internet has as much intention for mischief as the child hiding in the garage with a Playboy magazine in hand. This raises difficult issues which need to be discussed openly in your home. Can children be prevented from accessing materials which are controversial? Is preventing access even desirable? What alternatives do we have or could we provide? How do we talk with children about these issues? How and by whom are community standards set? Unfortunately, much of the publicity related to these issues has only dealt with potential dangers--and has not encouraged reflection on creative solutions. The solution which gets the most exposure is the use of programs which block offensive sites, so it may be helpful to describe how these programs work. First, each of these programs are set to screen out certain words which are likely to appear on "adult" sites. On it’s face, this may seem like a good idea, but beware, the same programs which screen out sex sites also screen out sites related to Essex, England, as well as those related to breast cancer, sexual harassment, sextons, "keeping abreast of new ideas," and so on. Second, the programs screen out specific web sites which the company determines are "unsuitable." Keep in mind that sensibilities of the software company may not match your own. One company, for example, screens the Heritage Foundation web site because it feels the organization is too conservative, while another screens the National Organization of Women because it feels the organization is too liberal. What’s more, purveyors of both pornographic and other sites inappropriate to young people are clever at using words with double meanings that may appear innocuous to an electronic scanner, and filters can screen neither graphic elements containing explicit words or pictures nor email messages from individuals who mean to do harm. In the end, filtering programs simply don’t do the job. Not only do they fail to block all objectionable site, they also take away the defining role of the parent in children’s education. A child who downloads pornographic or hate sites can only be corrected by positive family influence and parental willingness to instill a constructive value system through family communication. No filtering program is necessary for a child who has learned to say "no" to sites she knows are inappropriate for her. Today, when children are exposed to technology at a young age, parents often find themselves lagging behind their children in computer skills. Surprisingly, this may be the key to your involvement. What better way to learn about the Internet then to do so alongside your child? They’ll most likely pick it up more quickly than you do, of course, but along the way you’ll have the chance to see, and take pride in, your child at work. Search for information related to your child’s homework together and get to know the "friends" your child has on-line, just as you would get to know her other friends. In the end, the truth is that only YOU know the standards you want your children to follow, only YOU can judge what's acceptable for the ages and maturity levels of your kids, and only YOU can decide if your kids can handle anything they see or if you might want to enlist some help. Take time to review the resources and tips combining supervision and communication, which thoughtful parents have used to take advantage of the Internet as a resource while protecting their children, and HAVE FUN WITH IT!
| ||||
|
The above information was compiled by CantonSouthDakota.com, and appeared in part, as an article in @Internet magazine. | ||||
|
| ||||
