Monitor Your Child's Internet Usage

1. Start with your kids. Teach them that, just as they should not talk to strangers in the real world, likewise they should not give out any personal information online. They should not share their name, address, city, school, their parents' names, etc. It is appropriate to be honest with kids and let them know how this information can be used to hurt them by seemingly very sincere people or those posing as children.
   
2. Utilize parental controls. Some ISPs such as AOL and MSN provide parental controls so that you can customize what your child
   is exposed to online. Above and beyond that, most web browsers such as Internet Explorer and Mozilla have build-in controls that can be set to a higher level on a child's account. These controls are less than perfect, so be forewarned! They may not block everything and will likely block access to some sites that your child may be otherwise allowed to use. In other words, parental controls are no substitute for parental supervision!
   
3. Install it all! Make sure you are behind a firewall. Make sure you install and properly configure virus software not only to frequently scan for viruses but also to frequently update new virus files. Start with a free toolbar with built-in pop-up blocker. The Google or Yahoo Toolbars are good choices. You will also want to install a program that cleans up malware and spyware since gaming and other websites that teens frequent seem to have a disproportionately large amount of this stuff. Spybot: Search & Destroy is recommended.
   
4. When your child is ready for email, set up a white list. This is pretty easy to do in any of the major email programs simply by setting up filters that instruct the email program to delete any emails arriving from anyone other than a list that you specify. This way your child won't be inundated with spam, viruses or unwanted solicitations. As your child grows, you can work together to teach about spam filters and junk mail filters and get rid of the white list but it is a great way to allow email access without worrying about what might be coming into that inbox.
   
5. If you can not be in the same room to monitor your child's internet usage then you should install a keystroke logging program. Eblaster is one such recommended product. The internet is full of educational opportunities, entertainment, and a way to keep us all connected. It doesn't have to be a dangerous place as long as parents have the education necessary to child-proof our children's Internet experience!