Our February, 2015 meeting was led by Jen Shearer of Main Source Computers in Brookville. Jen shared ways to keep our children safe while they are using the internet. Her presentation included common sense strategies, as well as software that can be used to block inappropriate internet sites, limit online time, and track internet usage.
Parents can employ several common sense strategies for internet safety.
1) Keep the computer in a centralized location or one into which parents are regularly coming and going.
Keeping the computer in a place where parents and siblings are around minimizes behaviors that children would not want others to see.
2) Create desktop icons for sites that children are allowed to visit or are using for schoolwork.
Eliminating the need for children to type the site into the address bar will eliminate the possibility that they will type in the address incorrectly and be sent to a site that would be inappropriate for them.
3) Stay involved with your children.
Have open and honest (age appropriate) discussions about why your rules are in place. Eventually, the child will have to make decisions on his own about what to watch and what to avoid. It is best for him if he understands and accepts for himself the boundaries you have set.
4) Set time limits for "screen time."
Some parents use computers for much of their schooling, so this strategy may not apply to them. Others, however, set limits for how long each day a child can be on the computer, kindle, etc. or times of day when the child can be on it. Times of day limits can be especially important when there are multiple children in the family who need to share the device.
Parents can purchase software or utilize other parental controls.
1) Purchase a game upgrade
Many "free" educational games have advertisements that parents would prefer their children not be subjected to. Often for a modest fee, parents can upgrade to an "ad-free" version of the game. Some moms felt that it was worth a couple of dollars to have a version of the game without ads.
2) Use an e-mail service that doesn't have ads.
Many free e-mail services have ads that run alongside the messages. Gmail is one e-mail service that does not have ads.
3) Use free parental blocks on the devices you have.
Windows 7 & 8 have blocking and tracking features that you can initiate. You'll need to set up separate user accounts for your children. Several browsers, including Internet Explorer and Google Chrome, have blocking options that parents can select. For tablets, Apple, Windows, Android, and Fire all have parental controls. Parents at our meeting agreed that the kids' version of the Kindle Fire is excellent in this regard. You can set time limits, site limits, and a curfew on it.
4) Purchase protection software.
Three options that were discussed were Safe Eyes, Net Nanny, and Covenant Eyes. Net Nanny had some bad ratings online, and Covenant Eyes tended to work well on desktops, but not so much on tablets. However, parents should research to see what option would be best for their family.
