What are my children doing on the internet?

Many parents feel that their children know more than they do about using the internet. The following sections explore the kinds of things your child may be accessing on the internet.

What are children aged 2-7 years doing online?

Preschoolers are old enough to begin to explore the internet and to learn about the computer. Children from about five years may start to visit children’s websites with you and enjoy email correspondence with family and friends.

NetAlert has a free internet safety educational program available for young children.

Go to Netty’s World website (www.nettysworld.com.au).

What parents can do

• Check out good sites for younger children—you should be responsible for selecting the sites that children in this age group can visit.
• Very close supervision is strongly recommended.
• Select sites and set up bookmarks for very young users.
• Consider using ‘safe zones’ for this age group, particularly when they start school and can do more on their own.
• Limit email correspondence to a list of friends and family members you have approved.
• Use filters to limit accidental access to unsuitable material.

What are children aged 8-11 doing online?

From around eight years old, children become increasingly interested in exploring the internet, chatting and corresponding online. Some older children may begin to assert their independence and look for ‘forbidden’ material. Marketers may target them, but increasingly they learn to recognise the difference between advertising and other material. It helps to talk to children about commercial information and ways to deal with it. Their skills and independence will continue to increase, but making internet exploration a family activity allows you to maintain close supervision.

NetAlert has created a free internet safety educational program for children aged 8–12 years.

Go to the CyberQuoll website (www.cyberquoll.com.au).

What parents can do

• Be actively involved in your child’s internet use.
• Emphasise safe online behaviour and discuss why this is needed.
• Investigate any chat rooms or online clubs that your child wants to join to make sure they are legitimate.
• Consider using ‘filters’ to block access to internet relay chat (IRC) and newsgroups.
• Discuss use of good cyber manners (‘netiquette’).
• Keep the computer in a public area of the home to supervise children’s use.
• Use family-friendly search engines designed for children.

What are children aged 12-18 doing online?

The internet becomes a valuable tool for homework and projects for teenagers. At the same time, younger teens start to become more independent and self-assured, wanting more freedom and coming under more peer influence. Their online and email contacts tend to expand. Some may challenge the use of filtering software and attempt to access ‘forbidden’ material. Many are ‘net savvy’—they know about hacking into systems and understand basic computer programming. However, they are more able to differentiate between advertisements and other material, and recognise persuasion techniques.

Many older teens can write their own programs and know how to manage computer hardware and software. Their use of the internet includes school research, job and further education searches, global communication and enhancing their technical skills. This increasing knowledge can also get them into trouble if they explore ways of getting around technical tools and methods for breaking into private systems.

What parents can do

• Stay in touch with what your children are doing online. While it may become less feasible to actively supervise their access, continue to discuss internet issues and share internet experiences.
• Keep the computer in a public area of the home.
• Reinforce safety messages and cyber rules. NetAlert has created house rules and internet safety contracts to help families create internet safety strategies. Younger teens in particular should be reminded of the need to protect their privacy.
• Ensure that teens understand that posting to newsgroups makes their email address public.
• Ensure that both you and your teenager understand laws relating to copyright, privacy, software piracy, hacking and obscenity.

Despite the educational and social benefits of the internet, there are risks associated with its use.

Children and adolescents accessing the internet may be confronted with material that is disturbing or inappropriate. Although there are technological measures than can be adopted to minimise the risks, other strategies include educating children as early as possible about the benefits and dangers of using the internet. It is essential to instruct children about how to be ‘street-smart’ and to use the internet in a safe and responsible manner.

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