Measures to Protect Children Online
The growth Internet, or Net, has been explosive. The internet could be considered as a global electronic library containing a vast quantity of information. At present, almost everyone has access to the internet. Many are hooked to the internet. And many still depend on the internet for a lot of things that they do. It is safe to say that the internet has become a normal part of most people’s lives. Being a treasure chest of data, facts, statistics, opinions, speculations, and viewpoints, the internet can be easily used and a first choice as a storehouse of information for many individuals.
However, useful as it is, the internet also has drawbacks. The most important of which is that there is no one or no group that monitors the information posted on the internet. No one looks over other’s shoulders to ensure that every contributor plays fair and tells the truth or posts accurate information. It is possible for just anyone to post anything on the internet. And, the same goes true for access, anyone can read or see anything that is posted on the internet.
Without proper regulation of content, it is up to the users now to be responsible for which sites they will enter and use. Given the internet’s unsupervised nature, it is better not to trust every site that you discover. To a mature person, this problem is not really a big issue since they would take responsibility for their actions. But to children, this problem is very serious and can pose risks.
Studies indicate that nearly two-thirds of children use the Internet (2000). Children online users thus have created unique concerns for Internet providers and lawmakers. Access to pornographic or other unsuitable sites and the privacy of children users online are two issues that affect children’s use of the internet. The collection, storage, and sale of a child online user’s personal information without the child or parent’s knowledge or consent has elicited much concern. Such a practice is commonplace in the world of the Internet. Without proper regulation also of which sites to view and which sites not to view, children can access sites which are not suited for their young ages.
As a result of these pressing problems, both the internet industry and lawmakers focused their recent efforts to curb the widespread practice. The internet industry has made conscious efforts which are aimed at protecting a child’s privacy online. These efforts are many and include requiring that Web site operators post a privacy policy. Big players in the Internet industry have also created their own informational Web sites with the purpose of alerting parents about the dangers of their children roaming the Internet without adult supervision (Hertzel, 2000).
With regards to children’s access to Web sites that are not suitable for their ages, parental or adult supervision is the key to help solve this problem. There are basic ways on how to guard children from accessing Web sites not suitable for them. This includes, on the part of law and policy makers, aggressively educating parents and the public about the internet and its dangers, increase resources used to enforce existing laws and use existing technologies more often. Education campaigns should stress the importance of involving parents and caregivers in the child’s online activities, explaining what child-friendly sites are, and detailing the protection technologies that are available if someone chooses them.
Parents and guardians of children should remember that parental control softwares available in the market are not enough to protect children’s privacy online and monitor which sites their children access. If there is such a software in a family, additional supervision from adults is still required. Adults should not simply rely on it. Simple ways to do this at home includes keeping the computer in a shared living area, supervising children’s online activities, checking what information and pictures are posted and released in Web sites that the children access, encouraging the children to discuss any unsavory content they have found on the internet, warning children about the potential dangers of using the chat rooms, explaining to children the dangers of giving out personal information such as phone numbers or addresses to strangers, setting time limits on surfing and restrict most computer use for specific purposes such as school, and changing parental control access password regularly, if there is one.
Children’s use of the internet has serious problems that go with it. However, this is not without a solution. Policies and laws implemented by governing bodies, coupled with parental or adult supervision at home on children’s use of the internet can help minimize or even eliminate the problems of children’s privacy and unmonitored access of Web sites by the children.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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