HOW HAS WEB SECURITY IMPACTED PARENTING?

How Has Web Security Impacted Parenting?



How Has Web Security Impacted Parenting?

Introduction

There's no doubt that most kids and teenagers love the Internet. Today's youngsters have grown up with the World Wide Web, and many have spent a lot of time online. They are the first generation of digital natives. They have a more accepting and open-minded relationship with the information technology that is rapidly reshaping the world, while the rest of us are usually playing catch-up trying to work out what is really going on. This paper discusses how web security has impacted parenting in a concise and comprehensive way.

How Has Web Security Impacted Parenting? A Discussion

Although children may understand the workings of the Internet better than their parents and sometimes claim it as their own exclusive territory, we cannot remain passive observers. At its best, the Internet is a fantastic resource for learning, entertainment and communication. But it can also be addictive, anti-social and downright dangerous.

Allbon and Williams (2002) mention for kids, the attraction of the Internet is extremely powerful. It offers an exciting world of possibilities: instant company and chat, games, music, and opportunities to meet new people from all over the world. It's a magic playground. And just a couple of clicks away the Internet is also pornography, child exploitation (Allbon and Williams, 2002), gambling, hate messages, bomb-making, and extreme violence. At its worst, the Internet can seriously harm children's emotional development and lead to situations that put them in physical danger. We really need to know what they are doing online.

Establishing Ground Rules

So how can we make sure that children and teenagers are safe on the Internet? Few kids respond well to threats and absolute bans based on parental ignorance. The urge to explore the 'forbidden' side of the Web outside the home may only become stronger. Parental control is more credible when we know what we are talking about. It works better when the reasons for the rules are also understood and accepted by the kids.

A constructive security approach is based on talking openly with children about the positive and negative aspects of the Internet and how to use it safely. We need to make it normal and easy for children to discuss their favorite web sites and whatever else they encounter on the web, including unpleasant or disturbing content.

With younger kids, the aim is to shield them from exposure to harmful content and to set rules that keep their online enthusiasm within reasonable bounds. Parents can take the initiative by introducing kids to fun but safe web sites. Recommendations from other parents or teachers are a good starting point (Quayle and Taylor, 2002).

Locating the computer in a place where you can keep an eye on your child's Internet activity gives you more control. It's also important to set clear limits on the amount of time children spend online and what web sites they can visit. The parental control feature on software like F-Secure Internet Security 2009 is an easy way ...