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We're
in the "Wild West Period" of Internet safety - according
to New York based futurist and technology expert; Michael Rogers.
A
knowledgeable and entertaining speaker and frequent guest on radio
and television, Rogers provides a grounded vision of technologic
changes for both businesses and individuals. His resume includes
executive positions with Newsweek, The Washington Post, and MSNBC.
He
was interviewed on the (May 14, 2006) CBC program "One on
One, with Peter Mansbridge".
The
conversation covered a number of topics but one that stood out was
how technologically savvy children and teenagers are. Having grown
up with the World Wide Web these children virtually live there.
He quoted a statistic that 60 percent of children between 9-16 have
published information on the web. Some even have their own web site
- so we as adults need to understand the good and bad of the Internet
to make sure their time online is safe and productive - even though
their tech knowledge may be much greater than their parents.
Rogers
comments comparing Internet safety to the Wild West were made to
emphasis how important it is to monitor Internet usage by teens
and pre-teens. He offered these guidelines to parents to keep the
kids safe.
- Children
visit a lot of sites that are known harbors of spy ware, viruses
and worms. Make sure you have adequate Internet tools to ensure
your computer is protected from virus' and other intrusions. A
firewall and anti-virus program are two must haves. Studies just
released this year state that an unprotected computer will get
infected from a virus or a worm within a few minutes of being
connected to the Internet. Install them before you connect.
- Don't
allow computers in a child's room - make sure the computer they
use is in a common area of the house - makes it easier to monitor
what they're doing.
- Spend
some time on line with your child and see what type of things
they're doing - web sites their visiting.
- Occasionally
check the Temporary Internet File - to see what sites they've
been visiting.
- Almost
all children are on chat rooms and use instant messenger. Make
sure they are not messaging with anyone they don't know - or haven't
met before. Emphasis how important it is to be careful online.
They should NEVER give out their address or phone number - or
any other personal information. Chat rooms are quite often targeted
by Pedophiles - so you can never be too careful.
- Children
should never use their real name - use a nickname.
- Council
your child that should they get a message or e-mail that makes
them scared or uncomfortable to show it to you immediately - with
absolutely no repercussions to them.
- They
should never agree to meet someone in person, that they met online.
Here's some
other important things to remember
- Never
store any bank account or Credit Card information on your PC
- Use
secure passwords - letters and numbers - and change it occasionally.
- Defrag your
computer once a week and every 3 days or so if you are online
a lot.
- Don't
believe everything you read on the web. If you need hard information
- get it verified by at least three sites and one of them should
be a university or government web site.
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