Safe Kids on-line

Do your kids use the internet? Do they get on-line to play games or do homework? Or maybe they use Facebook or e-mail? If they do any of that, they're not alone! A recent study shows more than two-thirds of children ages two to five gets on-line. That number, as you might imagine, goes up as children grow up.

The internet is a great resource. It's good for homework, entertainment, even socializing with friends. But, it also puts our kids out there in the cyber world, where it's not always as easy to see who they're coming into contact with. Cyber predators are pretty sneaky. And, there are some who seek out children.

That same study found that one in six, six to nine year olds has experienced what their parents consider objectionable or aggressive behavior on-line. That's things like malicious content, even predators. That includes cyber-bullying, which is a new and growing threat to our kids. As a parent, that's all very scary. But, there are things we can be doing to keep our kids safe.

Jason Tollefson is with the Geek Squad. He's also a Dad. He says you can install some safety features, cyber nanny software, right onto your computer.

"They have algorithms built in to prevent your child from going to pornographic websites or websites promoting hate speech. They can block out profanity and use the old comic book exclamations across the entire website. And, of course, you can add specific websites if it doesn't block something particular that you don't want them to go to," explains Tollefson.

The software can also block the times your kids can get on-line. It can basically shut the internet down during homework time or bedtime, for example. And, it also creates a chat and instant messenger log. That would allow you to keep track of who your kids are talking to on-line. Now, Jason says most of these programs you do have to buy, so keep that in mind.

Experts say it's also a good idea to be involved.

• Go on-line with your kids
• Keep your computer in an open area where you can see what's going on
• Set rules for your kids. Let them know when they can use the internet and which sites are off-limits.
• Warn them about the dangers

It's kind of like this: we wouldn't let our little ones wander around downtown Mobile or downtown Pensacola alone, we need to be there with them.

Same thing goes here. We need to be involved in their on-line experiences. And, we should monitor the computer usage. Keep tabs on which sites your kids are using. You may also want to try dividing your computer into separate accounts so you can limit and control what your kids have access to on-line.

The internet is an ever-changing, kind of intimidating area for many parents. And, our kids certainly know a lot about the technology! Lots to think about for sure!

For more information on keeping our children safe on the internet, click here . For more on the cyber nanny software Jason is talking about, click here . For tips from the Geek Squad, click here .