One of the many reasons why you should set parental controls is because you can protect your child when they are online. Although parental controls come in a number of different formats, most allow you to block websites that you don’t want your child to view. This means that if you don’t want your child to use MySpace or other social networking websites you can easily block them.

Another reason you should have working parental controls on your child’s computer is because they are easy to install. Most parental controls are self-explanatory. This means that even if you don’t know how to use a computer, you can still get protection set. For example, if your computer uses Internet Explorer, all you need to do is open a new window and select “Internet Options,” from the heading of “Tools.” There, you will find a tab that is labeled “Content,” and here is where you can set your parental controls.

In addition being easy to install, parental controls are also often easy to find. In fact, many are also free. If you use Internet Explorer, as previously stated, parental controls are already built in. Another popular internet browser is that of FireFox. Although FireFox does not have built-in parental controls, they do make it easy for to find add-ons, many of which are free. Even if you must purchase a parental control program for your child, you should know that they costs are more than worth it.

Unfortunately, many parents do not install parental controls, as they believe it will limit their own use of the internet. Just because you want your child to avoid websites that have crude language or violent themes, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t want to view them. But, did you know that most internet controls for parents can be used on shared family computers? This is because they let you set up a password to override any websites that you would like to access.

Since parental controls are often free or very affordable, easy to install, and a great way to keep kids safe, you should use them. However, before you get a false sense of confidence, there are some important things that you should know. First, know that many teenagers are computer smart. Your teen may actually know how to get around parental controls, even if they don’t know your password. That is why you will occasionally want to check the computer. If you block a website, like MySpace.com, occasionally check it to make sure that it is still blocked.

Speaking of having a password, be sure not to give this password to your child. If they need to gain access to a website that was accidentally blocked, like for a school research project, you will want to use the password yourself to unblock the website, even just temporarily. As nice and as mature as your child is, there are some who go through great lengths to be able to socialize online with other internet users.

The first step that you should take, to help keep your child safe online, is to know as much as you can about computers and the internet. Did you know that there are ways for you to see which websites have been visited on a computer? Did you know that some computers already have parental controls installed on them that just need to be set? You can only benefit from these tools that can help to protect your child if you know that they do exist.

Speaking of parental controls, be sure to know what your computer has. If you have an older model computer, you may benefit from purchasing additional software programs. These programs can easily be found for sale online or in most media or office supply stores. As for the programs that may already be on your computer, open up a new Internet Explorer window. From the main headings at the top of the page, click on “Tools,” and then “Internet Options.” A new window will appear; highlight the “Content,” tab and right away you will see an option that lets you block certain content from showing on a computer.

In keeping with parental controls, don’t give into a child who complains about them being used. If you create a password to override these controls, which you may need if your whole family shares a computer, that password can also be used for your teenager. Don’t give them the password though. Use it to unblock certain sites that they ask and you first approve.

Another easy way that you can protect your child when they use the internet is to have the computer in a frequently traveled room. You can also limit the use of certain websites, like social networking websites or internet chat rooms. Make them only available when you are home or in the same room. If your child has their own computer, like a laptop that they can take anywhere with them, be sure to check the internet history of their computer randomly every week or so.

Speaking of which, do not let your child have their own login information. When you first turn on a computer, you often see a button that says someone’s name. Many families use one standard account. Your child can easily create their own. If they do, do not let them have their own password. This can make it difficult or impossible for you to examine their online activities. Having you checkup on their online activities may not be something that your teen likes, but you likely purchased the computer and you, as the parent, have the right to check.

As it was previously stated, you will want to check the internet history of a child who has their own computer or if your child uses the family computer when you are not home. If you have Internet Explorer, which most computers do, open a new internet window. Towards the top of the page, you will see a menu bar with a number of pictured icons. You can check the history of a computer by clicking on the icon with a clock and a small green arrow. This should tell you which websites your teenager has been viewing online.

Finally, it is important that you talk with your teenager about the dangers of using the internet, namely social networking websites or internet chat rooms. Teach them what to do if they are harassed online or approached by an internet predator. Make sure they know not to erase the information, but rather to save it or show it to you right away, especially if you decide to contact your local police department.

As it was previously stated, numerous situations can develop online that have the potential to be dangerous. One of those situations is when personal information is exchanged with a stranger. Has your child recently given away your phone number, address, or their email address to someone who they don’t really know?

If so, be sure to change as much information as possible. This may involve changing your home phone number or your child’s cell phone number or email address. Be sure to take additional safety steps, such as always being aware of your surroundings, locking your home and car, and you may also want to contact your local authorities. Be sure to talk to your child about the dangers of exchanging personal information online.

In keeping with exchanging personal information online, your child may end up talking to an adult, thinking that they are another teenager or close to their age. If that is the case, your child is likely dealing with an internet predator, who can be old enough to be a parent or a grandparent.

If your child has made contact, intentionally or unintentionally, with an older person online, has any personal information been exchanged? If so, change that information, like your child’s email address, cell phone, or even if your home phone number. Make sure that the contact stops immediately. Contact the authorities, school officials, and make sure that all family members know. Get as much information you can about the real person behind the computer. The police may be able to help you do so.

Many high school and junior high school students use social networking websites, like MySpace. Unfortunately, many also mistakenly believe that it is a good idea to try to look “cool,” online and at any cost. Your child may post pictures or videos of themselves online doing illegal activities, like smoking or drinking underage, stealing, or doing drugs.

If this is something that your child has done, be sure to remove the pictures or videos right away. If your child’s pictures or videos have been viewed by school officials or authorities, they may be facing punishment. A lawyer should be called if your child is arrested. If your child is suspended from school or extra curricular activities, speak to school officials. What can be done by both you, the parent, and your child?

Online harassment is another common problem that children, namely junior high school and high school students face. This harassment can be done by a complete stranger, an online friend, or a friend right at school. When friends have a falling out or even just a simple disagreement, many turn to the internet to seek revenge, as it is easy to hide behind a computer.

If your child finds themselves a victim of online harassment, the authorities should be contacted. This is particularly important if your child does not actually know, in person, the individual who is making threats or spreading harmful rumors. If the individual doing so is a former friend or another individual at school, there are a number of steps that you can take. If you know the child and their parents, consider arranging a meeting, but be cautious and use your best judgment. Alternatives involve contacting the authorities or the school.

As you can see, there are a number of troubling and potentially dangerous situations that your child can find themselves in online. Just make sure that you, as the parent, take steps to help and protect your child.

As nice as it is to hear that internet parental controls can help to protect your child from danger online, you may be curious as to how they work or how you can get started with them. Although you will find some variances, most parental controls for the internet are free, cheap, and extremely easy to set up.

If you are using Internet Explorer as your internet browser, which most computer users have, you have parental controls that are built right into your computer! How neat is that? To set these parental controls, you will want to open up a new internet window, just like you would when surfing the web. Next, select “Tools,” and then “Internet Options,” from the dropdown menu. A new window will appear and then you can click on the “Content,” tab. Enabling the content advisor will allow you to start protecting your child online.

Although Internet Explorer comes standard on most computers, there are some internet users who use FireFox instead. If you are using FireFox, setting parental controls for the internet isn’t as easy as it is with Internet Explorer. This is because there are not any built-in controls. With that said, they do make it easy for you to get them. The main website for FireFox has links to add-ons that you can easily use and install. Many of these add-ons are free of charge.

AOL is another common internet browser that is used. AOL also has parental controls that are easy for you to use. AOL provides parents, like yourself, with the largest options. In addition to customizing your options, AOL also has preset controls. These controls are based on a child’s age range. Even if you choose to set your own options, these are great guides to follow, especially if you are unfamiliar with computers.

Now that you know you have a number of different options, when looking to get started with parental controls, you may be curious how you can make the most out of them. Some parental controls allow you to set ratings for certain websites and choose levels that you want to accept. For example, Internet Explorer can allow you to block websites that focus on just fighting or you can go higher up and block websites that have blood and gore for content. This option is nice, but it may unintentionally end up blocking some “safe websites.”

A more direct approach to take is to outright block the websites that you don’t want your child to visit. The parental controls that come with Internet Explorer easily allow you to do this. What you will want to do is perform a standard internet search to find these websites. For example, if you want to block social networking websites, perform a standard internet search with the phrase “social networking websites.” Any websites that you find, you can simply just add them to your blocked list.

As you can see, parental controls are easy to install and you have a number of different options. That is why you should get them set as soon as possible.

As nice as it is to hear that you can limit the websites that your child or teenager gains access to online, you may be curious as to how you can go about doing so. As it was previously stated, the process is relatively easy. Outlined below are a few steps to help get you started.

1 – Open a new Internet Explorer window. You can do this by clicking on that blue e icon that was mentioned above.

2 – Click on “Tools,” from the drop down menu bar at the top of the page.

3 – Click on “Internet Options,” and a new smaller window will appear.

4 – Click on the “Content,” tab, as this is where you are able to set the controls.

5 – Under the heading of “Content Advisor,” you will see an enable button, click on it and a new window will appear.

By following the above mentioned steps, you should get the point where you are able to enter in your preferences. You may first want to start with the ratings. Click on the “Ratings,” tab.

When using the ratings feature that is provided through Internet Explorer, you will see at least four main headings, which include language, sex, nudity, and violence. You are able to determine what can be viewed on your computer based on levels. For example, Level 1 for violence is fighting, Level 2 is killing, Level 3 is blood and gore, and so forth. Remember that you can readjust these ratings at any point in time.

If you use the internet safety rating features that are provided by Internet Explorer, it is important to know that some sites can innocently be blocked. For example, a site that simply mentions the words “violence,” or “kill,” may be blocked, even if they are not violent websites. For that reason, you may need to make some adjustments. This can easily be done by clicking on the “Approved Sites,” tab.

When you click on the “Approved Sites,” tab you are able to enter in the websites that you would like to have viewable. This feature is nice to have if your child or teenager is using a family computer, like one that you and your spouse may also use. It addition to listing approved sites, you can also list the websites that you want to never make viewable. This is ideal if you are prohibiting your child from using a social networking website, like MySpace.

Aside from adding the websites that you and other adults in your household view to the approved sites list, you can also use a password. You can create a password for your computer and the parental controls by click on the “General,” tab. Create a password that is easy for you and the rest of the adults in your household to remember, but one that is hard enough that your child or teen can’t figure out themselves. In fact, do not give your child the password. An adult in your home can use it if they ask to have a safe site unblocked.

As you can see, it is relatively easy to protect your child online with the use of internet safety tools when using Internet Explorer. The many options that you have are also nice. Since the above mentioned tools and features are free for you to use, why not at least give them a try? If you are not using Internet Explorer, but rather another browser, like FireFox, you should be able to take similar steps to block potentially harmful or dangerous content from your internet using child.

So, are you a parent whose child uses the internet? If you are, there is a good chance that your child is also using MySpace. Do you know? You may be surprised just how many junior high school and high school students use MySpace as a way to communicate with friends, as well as a way to meet new friends. Although all websites have the potential to be dangerous, MySpace, you can say, has an increased risk. For that reason, it is important to monitor your child’s use of MySpace.

As important as it is to hear that MySpace can be dangerous for children and teenagers, you may be looking for more information. Many parents are unaware of the dangers that MySpace and the internet in general holds. The best way to protect your child online and on MySpace is to be aware.

One reason why you need to monitor your child’s use of MySpace is because of internet predators, which are also often sexual predators. MySpace makes it easy for strangers to communicate with each other. The internet in general makes it easy to be someone else, like someone a lot younger or someone a lot older. Your child may end up talking to a 50 year old man or women, who pretends to be someone their age. For that reason, you need to monitor your child’s MySpace account. Make sure that they are not sharing personal information online, such as their full name, phone number, or address.

Another one of the many reasons why you should monitor your child’s use of MySpace is because of pictures and video. MySpace allows all internet users to post pictures and videos. In fact, it is relatively easy to do so. All profiles that are public can be viewed by others. In keeping with internet predators, MySpace also records and posts your child’s location, such as the city and state. Posting this information, along with their first name, the school, and a personal photo or video can make it easier for your children to be found, even by those who they haven’t made direct contact with online.

Although internet predators are often the biggest threat of children using the internet and MySpace, there is another danger that lurks. There have been multiple news reports that highlight children, mostly teenagers, who have been suspended from school, suspended from sports teams, or arrested. This is often the result of a MySpace user posting pictures or videos of them doing something illegal, like stealing, doing drugs, or drinking underage. If this is information that your child has on their MySpace page, you will want to see it and get it removed before their school or the authorities do.

Now that you know some of the dangers that children face when using MySpace, you may be curious as to how you can go about protecting them. First, make sure you know if your child has a MySpace account. You can view your computer’s history or perform a search on the MySpace.com page to see if your child has a profile listed. If they do, view their profile. You should talk to your child about the dangers of MySpace anyways, but you should definitely talk to them if you see something disturbing on their MySpace page. This should include conversations that take a sexual tone or the exchange of personal information.

As a reminder, the monitoring of your child’s MySpace use is extremely important. No matter how mature or reliable your child is, they may unintentionally become a victim.

A child should never know more than a parent does about the internet. At the very least, you should know about the same. If you are looking to block adult websites or websites that have offensive language, it will not do you any good if your teenager knows ways to get around the parental controls that you set. That is why it is important that you know how to use a computer and the internet or learn if you don’t know.

Another reason why you should be well educated on the internet and computer use is because you are better able to fully understand the dangers of them. You may hear that an internet predator approached or kidnapped a child on the news, but you may automatically assume that it will not happen to your child. Unfortunately, until you understand how the internet works, you really have no idea. Does your child use internet chat rooms or social networking websites? If so, do you know how easy the internet makes it for someone to create a whole new, fake identity?

A good understanding of computer and internet use can better enable you to protect your child. Do you know that Internet Explorer, the browser that comes standard, has a free parental control option that just needs to be activated? A few easy steps and you can have certain websites blocked from your child. Unfortunately, you won’t know this if you don’t know all that you can know about the computer or the internet. Speaking of the internet, additional online safety tools for parents can be purchased online as well.

Now that you know the importance of staying in the know about the internet and a computer in general, you may be curious as to how you can go about doing so. The good news is that there are a number of ways that you can learn all that you need to know about computer and internet use. A few of these ways are outlined below for your convenience.

Teaching yourself is an easy way to learn about the internet and computer use. In fact, what better way is there than to just jump on the computer and see what you can find. For starters, examine your computer or your internet browser for free internet safety tools for parents. You may also want to visit some of the websites that your child visits, just to see what they are subjecting themselves to. Visit their online profile for MySpace, Facebook, or another social networking website. Does it make you uneasy? Are the discussions taking place in your child’s favorite chat room too adult?

You can also ask a trusted friend or relative for help. Do not ask your child or teenager for help though. If they know that you want to set up parental controls or keep tabs on their internet use, they may withhold important information from you. Instead, invite a trusted friend or relative over for coffee and lunch and let them show you the ins and outs of the internet. All you really need is a couple of hours.

You can also take an internet or computer education course. These courses are sometimes offered for free or for an affordable fee by local community groups, colleges, or vocational training centers. In fact, see if your child’s school offers anything. Some schools host informational seminars for parents on internet safety about once a year.

As nice as it is to hear that you should talk about internet safety and internet use in general with your child, you may be curious as to why it is important that you do so. For your convenience, just a few of the many reasons why you should have the internet safety talk with your child are outlined below.

1 – They May Not Know

How old is your child? If they are just starting to use the internet, they may be unaware of the dangers that lurk on many popular websites, including online chat rooms and social networking websites. If your child has just started using the internet to research school projects, be sure you discuss internet safety with them, as it won’t be long before they realize that they can communicate with and make new friends online.

2 – It Is Your Job, As the Parent

Perhaps, the greatest reason why you should talk to your child about internet use and internet safety is because it is your job to do so. As a parent, it is your reasonability to guide and protect your child. Parents need to set some rules and guidelines with their children and the internet shouldn’t be any different. You don’t have to completely outlaw chat rooms, online message boards, or social networking websites, but be sure that you set clear cut rules that your child will understand concerning their use.

3 – It Will Help to Keep Them Safe

As much as we would all like to believe that the world is filled with nice, happy people, it isn’t. Unfortunately, many of those people, who may be child predators, are finding it easy to target children online. Why? Because the internet enables anyone to create their own identity. While most internet users that you meet online are truthful, all it takes is one online predator to cause serious harm or damage to a family. When you talk to your child about the dangers of the internet, you are keeping them well aware, which can help to keep them safe.

4 – You Can Teach Them What to Do

As for teaching your child what to do online, there are a number of different aspects that should be examined. For starters, teach your child how to properly use the internet, especially chat rooms and social networking websites. Let them know that they cannot discuss personal information or share pictures or videos with strangers. You should also let your child know what to do if they are targeted or harassed by someone online. This should involve coming to you immediately or saving all information, as opposed to erasing it from the computer, until you or the police can examine it.

5 – They Can Feel More Comfortable Talking to You

If your child is in high school or junior high school, they may automatically get defensive when you try to talk to them about internet safety. This is because most kids believe that they already know all that is needed to know and others just assume that you are being an overbearing parent. Despite this, discussing internet safety with your child in a calm and cool manner is likely to make your teenager feel comfortable about the issue. This increases the chances of them approaching you when they run into trouble online.

As you can see, there are a number of reasons why you should talk to your child about internet safety. Although this piece focused on discussing internet safety with teenagers, remember that internet safety is a lesson that can and should be started as soon as your child turns a computer on.

When it comes to internet safety rules that you have set in place, it is important that your child follows them. Why? Because their health and safety is, literally, at risk. Not following your internet safety rules should be treated differently than a child who doesn’t clean their room. The situation is much more serious. If your child doesn’t follow the rules that you have set concerning internet use, they may unintentionally find themselves a target of a child predator.

What you will want to do is re-talk to your child. Be sure that they are clear on your rules. For example, if your child is allowed to use social networking websites, what are they not allowed to have posted on their profile? Do you not want them to have personal information or personal pictures or videos shown? Restate all rules that you have for your child and instruct them to start following them right away.

If your child still isn’t following your internet safety rules all of the way, you will want to give them one final warning. Let them know that there are serious consequences to their actions. However, there is one important exception to this step. If you suspect that your child is communicating with strangers online, like those who may be sexual predators, bypass the final warnings, as your child may already be in over their head.

As for what steps you should take next, you can ban your child from using the internet. This is the strictest form of punishment and likely the one that will send the clearest message. If your child must use the internet for school, like for a school research project, only let them do so when you are sitting right next to them. You can also make them do their research at their local library. This is a great way to make your child understand the importance and consequences of not following rules.

Another approach that you can take is to block the websites that you want to keep your child away from. For example, if you asked your child or teenager not to post personal pictures or videos of themselves online, but they still continue to do so, block the social networking websites that they use. If you have Internet Explorer, this is easy to do. First, open a new internet window. Then, from the dropdown menu select “Tools,” and then “Internet Options,” and then click on the “Content Tab.” Finally, under the heading of “Approved Sites,” you can also enter in the websites you want blocked.

You may also want to let your child use the computer when you are home or in the room. If they have their own computer, make them relocate it into a well traveled area, such as your living room. Speaking of which, if your child uses a family computer, you should always make sure that it is in an area where you can easily see what your child is doing online. This is a nice approach, as your child is still able to use the internet, but you are able to keep a close eye on them, making sure that they are following your rules.

So, are you a parent whose child uses the internet? If you are, there is a good chance that your child is also using MySpace. Do you know? You may be surprised just how many junior high school and high school students use MySpace as a way to communicate with friends, as well as a way to meet new friends. Although all websites have the potential to be dangerous, MySpace, you can say, has an increased risk. For that reason, it is important to monitor your child’s use of MySpace.

As important as it is to hear that MySpace can be dangerous for children and teenagers, you may be looking for more information. Many parents are unaware of the dangers that MySpace and the internet in general holds. The best way to protect your child online and on MySpace is to be aware.

One reason why you need to monitor your child’s use of MySpace is because of internet predators, which are also often sexual predators. MySpace makes it easy for strangers to communicate with each other. The internet in general makes it easy to be someone else, like someone a lot younger or someone a lot older. Your child may end up talking to a 50 year old man or women, who pretends to be someone their age. For that reason, you need to monitor your child’s MySpace account. Make sure that they are not sharing personal information online, such as their full name, phone number, or address.

Another one of the many reasons why you should monitor your child’s use of MySpace is because of pictures and video. MySpace allows all internet users to post pictures and videos. In fact, it is relatively easy to do so. All profiles that are public can be viewed by others. In keeping with internet predators, MySpace also records and posts your child’s location, such as the city and state. Posting this information, along with their first name, the school, and a personal photo or video can make it easier for your children to be found, even by those who they haven’t made direct contact with online.

Although internet predators are often the biggest threat of children using the internet and MySpace, there is another danger that lurks. There have been multiple news reports that highlight children, mostly teenagers, who have been suspended from school, suspended from sports teams, or arrested. This is often the result of a MySpace user posting pictures or videos of them doing something illegal, like stealing, doing drugs, or drinking underage. If this is information that your child has on their MySpace page, you will want to see it and get it removed before their school or the authorities do.

Now that you know some of the dangers that children face when using MySpace, you may be curious as to how you can go about protecting them. First, make sure you know if your child has a MySpace account. You can view your computer’s history or perform a search on the MySpace.com page to see if your child has a profile listed. If they do, view their profile. You should talk to your child about the dangers of MySpace anyways, but you should definitely talk to them if you see something disturbing on their MySpace page. This should include conversations that take a sexual tone or the exchange of personal information.

As a reminder, the monitoring of your child’s MySpace use is extremely important. No matter how mature or reliable your child is, they may unintentionally become a victim.