There's a fine line between respecting your children's privacy and protecting them from the dangers of the Internet. How far do you want to go to make sure your kids don't become helpless targets of online predators? Should you monitor their usage? Should you read their e-mail and IM conversations?
The line has become even fuzzier since the onset of Web 2.0. The recent popularity of social-networking sites and Web pages laden with user-generated content has only made the Internet more attractive for younger users. But with more opportunity to interact and share information (and view other users' posted content), there's a greater chance of exposing and being exposed to information and images that may be harmful or inappropriate.
Though these problems haven't gone unnoticed, their remedies--at least on a large scale--are less clear-cut. Connecticut legislators, for example, are pushing for a bill that would require parental consent when a child tries to post a profile on a social-networking site such as MySpace. But that's only Connecticut.
Therefore, for right now, the most effective protection starts in the home. Here are five simple tips for keeping your kids safe online.
the Internet. How far do you want to go to make sure your kids don't become helpless targets of online predators? Should you monitor their usage? Should you read their e-mail and IM conversations?
