Neil Rubenking, lead software analyst for PC Magazine, shared his personal strategy for exercising parental control over how his two children surf the World Wide Web:
"I'm sitting in my home office and through the door, I can see my kids," he said, adding that putting computers in common rooms, rather than bedrooms, is one low-tech way he has chosen to protect his 11- and 14-year-olds from either straying into or seeking out the seamy side of cyberspace.
If only Web safety were as simple as controlling computer access. Nowadays, cell phones and video-game consoles often come with Internet service. Social networking sites have become virtual hangouts for young people whose online profiles reveal intimate details. Not only do digital technologies put adult content at children's fingertips, they also allow predators to browse for kids - challenging parents, educators and law-enforcement officials to make sure that Internet access doesn't put youngsters in harm's way.
"We all went out and got computers and Internet access and threw it on our kids without realizing that it's an adult world out there," said San Francisco Bay Area police officer Steve DeWarns, who has pulled together many tips and suggestions on his Internet Child Safety Web site (www.internetchildsafety.net).
"Parents need to have some sort of parental control or filtering software on the computer," said DeWarns, who also visits schools and clubs to make cyber-safety presentations.
Trouble is, many parents are intimidated by technology and don't understand how to install software that can filter out porn sites. Even when they have such technical know-how, DeWarns said, parents may be unwilling to limit their children's horizons or snoop through their messages to monitor their activities on social networking sites.
His advice: Get over it. In the real world, parents set limits on where children can play depending on their age and maturity, keeping toddlers in the back yard, for instance, while letting teenagers roam. Why not follow the same logic in cyberspace, he said, gradually introducing children to this world of information rather then throwing them in without a guide.
The question facing parents is how to exercise this oversight.
Ironically, Rubenking, the software analyst, said he prefers traditional parenting techniques, such as explaining why kids should steer clear of smutty Web sites and other potential dangers. His rationale is simple: It doesn't take children long to figure out that they can bypass the filtering software by using unprotected computers at a friend's house.
"I'm sitting in my home office and through the door, I can see my kids," he said, adding that putting computers in common rooms, rather than bedrooms, is one low-tech way he has chosen to protect his 11- and 14-year-olds from either straying into or seeking out the seamy side of cyberspace.
If only Web safety were as simple as controlling computer access. Nowadays, cell phones and video-game consoles often come with Internet service. Social networking sites have become virtual hangouts for young people whose online profiles reveal intimate details. Not only do digital technologies put adult content at children's fingertips, they also allow predators to browse for kids - challenging parents, educators and law-enforcement officials to make sure that Internet access doesn't put youngsters in harm's way.
"We all went out and got computers and Internet access and threw it on our kids without realizing that it's an adult world out there," said San Francisco Bay Area police officer Steve DeWarns, who has pulled together many tips and suggestions on his Internet Child Safety Web site (www.internetchildsafety.net).
"Parents need to have some sort of parental control or filtering software on the computer," said DeWarns, who also visits schools and clubs to make cyber-safety presentations.
Trouble is, many parents are intimidated by technology and don't understand how to install software that can filter out porn sites. Even when they have such technical know-how, DeWarns said, parents may be unwilling to limit their children's horizons or snoop through their messages to monitor their activities on social networking sites.
His advice: Get over it. In the real world, parents set limits on where children can play depending on their age and maturity, keeping toddlers in the back yard, for instance, while letting teenagers roam. Why not follow the same logic in cyberspace, he said, gradually introducing children to this world of information rather then throwing them in without a guide.
The question facing parents is how to exercise this oversight.
Ironically, Rubenking, the software analyst, said he prefers traditional parenting techniques, such as explaining why kids should steer clear of smutty Web sites and other potential dangers. His rationale is simple: It doesn't take children long to figure out that they can bypass the filtering software by using unprotected computers at a friend's house.
Setting aside the question of whether to rely solely on oversight and persuasion, the good news for parents who want a technological assist is that reviews by PC Magazine and Consumer Reports both suggest that blocking software is getting better and easier to use, although these auto-blockers remain far from perfect - especially if your concern is preventing access to content that glamorizes drugs or violence.
For instance, a Consumer Reports review of 11 Web-filtering products concluded that they "keep (out) most but not all (pornography)," but do a lousy job of preventing access to Web sites that promote "hatred, illegal drugs or violence."
With that caveat in mind, Consumer Reports said parents who need a technological assist to control the Web habits of their kids might consider switching their broadband account to an Internet service provider such as AOL, Earthlink or MSN that provide built-in parental controls as part of the monthly service fee.
PC Magazine reviewed packaged software programs, most costing less than $50, that not only block porn sites but can also monitor and control how much time browsers spend online if the problem is so-called computer addiction. These programs include:
* SafeEyes, which can run on PCs or Macs and can be installed on up to three computers;
* ContentProtect, which offers both a home version aimed at kids and a professional package that employers can use to cut down on time-wasting Web-surfing; and
* IShield, an inexpensive package focused mainly on blocking accidental exposure to pornography.
Rubenking said that while these blocking programs have been getting better, they have been far less popular with parents than other computer-protection programs such as anti-spyware or antivirus packages. It gets back, he said, to the squeamishness parents have about electronically monitoring their children.
"Are you going to be the spyware person in their lives?" he asked rhetorically.
DeWarns, the police officer, said he advises teens and parents to be wary of how much personal information they allow to be posted on social networking sites, likening this to putting up a billboard on the highway.
"My main thing is to teach awareness," he said, "to educate both students and parents on online safety."
Tom Abate is a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle.
Online safety tips
* Keep connected computers in common rooms
* Talk frankly with children about risks
* Consider the pros and cons of blocking software
* Know who your children are messaging
