Is the internet a safe place for your kids to play unsupervised?

Absolutely not.

The internet is a wonderful evolving resource but is completely beyond local control, has no auditing for accuracy and without the addition of user-applied software or hardware, completely without any form of content filtering.

A kid online alone is equal to dropping them off downtown in Toronto on Friday night at 9pm and leaving them to wander and explore without you being beside them. For those of you who have not wandered around downtown Toronto on a Friday night, suffice to say, it is a very bad place for an unaccompanied child. Anything can happen and probably will.

The internet is not a babysitter and not the same as watching TV or playing a video game.

There are countless resources for parents and youth on the internet about keeping safe, so we won't re-invent the wheel here. Instead, we will summarize some key points that you, as a parent or guardian should consider. If you fail to know what your kids are up to, you might be in for a nasty surprise when they go missing, are otherwise victimized or stand accused of committing a criminal offence online.

Keep an internet-connected computer out of your child's bedroom.

You cannot supervise your children's online activities if they are hidden away from sight. Opt instead to put the internet-connected computer in a family-accessible room or area where you can wander by frequently to see what your kids are doing online. Actually spending time in the chair beside them is even better, and you should plan to spend some time online with them to get to know what they like to do online and what software and websites they enjoy using. Take interest and learn from them. This is quality time you can both benefit from.

No webcams without adult supervision.

Webcams are nothing but trouble for kids. The temptation to use them is overwhelming and many predators (posing as kids) will refuse to chat if your child does not have a webcam enabled. Leaving access to a webcam is like leaving your liquor cabinet in the kids bedroom with the understanding that they won't ever go in it.

When used properly, with adult supervision, they are great online communications tools BUT this is the major way that online predators victimize kids online.

If your new computer has a camera built in and you want it permanently disabled (don't trust some software switch), then you can simply apply a few drops of 'crazy glue' to the lens. Repeat the application several times and the camera is totally useless. The image will never be in focus and you cannot pick the glue off to use the camera. The same trick applies to cellphone cameras. Your kids don't need those either and it is getting hard to find a cellphone without a camera on it.

Adopt and Use An Internet Safety Contract

It is not fair to expect kids to remember all the safety rules. A written reminder, something that has been explained to them and that they understand, is a great idea. There are many forms of internet use agreements and family contracts online. You can download a sample below...

Make sure that your kids understand each point by having them explain it back to you. Agree on some age-appropriate consequences for breaking the contract. It is important to note that losing internet use is what kids fear the most. This should be reserved as the consequence of last resort. They will mess up. We all do. You need to make that mistake a learning experience and not have it result it what they fear the most.

There are many other great resources online at sites like:

www.netsmartzkids.org - resources and games for parents and kids
www.kidshelpphone.ca - resources
www.gomcgruff.com (this is a free internet monitoring and protection tool...)
www.netnanny.com - paid content filtering software
www.cyberpatrol.com - paid content filtering software