Internet Safety
Parents that allow their teen free and total access to the Internet may be asking for trouble. The Internet is a great source of information and can be an excellent communication tool. It may also create some unwanted, and even dangerous situations for children that weren't even in existence 20 years ago. Chat rooms and some websites are continually monitored by child predators. A popular MSNBC television show entitled “To Catch A Predator” was based on a sting operation directed at online child predators. Undercover police personnel communicated with sexual predators online.
When the predator arrived at the home of the underage potential victim, he was greeted by television cameras and eventually the police. It was scary to watch the potential perpetrator enter the home with the intention of having sex with a minor. Some of the child molesters had been convicted previously and some were first time offenders. They came from all walks of life and income brackets. The disturbing fact was that they all came from the same source, and with the same thing in mind. This television program should motivate every parent to monitor what their children are doing when they are online. If a parent didn't view the program hopefully they will accept this as a warning. There really are people that constantly monitor the Internet looking for children to abuse. It is critical that parents monitor their children's activity on the Internet or install some type of a program that will limit the children's ability to go to dangerous places online.
Computer Safety Tips
It is a good idea to put a computer in an area that easily visible to others in the home. Placing the computer in a common area in the home will reduce the chance for a child to visit dangerous places online. If a parent can glance over at anytime while the youngster is online, they will be less likely to get into trouble. There are also several different types of programs that can be installed on a computer to reduce the danger of a child getting into trouble. There are even programs that can prevent a child from stumbling onto a website that may introduce them to pornography.
Pornography is very addictive, it would be terrible if a young person accidentally opened a site that eventually led them to a life to a life of pornographic addiction. Parents are busy and few have time to monitor their child's every move. It would be safe to say that few parents have the time to watch every click of the mouse by their children. Investing in a clean safe Internet program or monitoring system can be a very good alternative and a great time saver. The Internet filters available, prevent children and teen's from going to places they shouldn't be. There are programs available that can even keep track of every key stroke that is entered on the computer. These types of programs allow the parent to see if their child has attempted to visit inappropriate sites on the Internet.