Surfing safely
Sandy Calleja Portelli shares some advice on the correct use of the internet, especially where children are concerned
As we settle down to the school routine, more children will be discovering the internet for the first time. Undoubtedly an invaluable tool for research and communication, the internet is also a potential hazard for our children.
Just as parents protect their children from danger in the real world, a few simple precautions can help keep children safe in cyberspace.
Setting up your PC
Computers with internet access should ideally be set up in the family's living areas and not in the child's bedroom. This will help you monitor how and when your youngster is surfing the net.
Closeted in their bedroom with the world literally at their fingertips, even the most dutiful students are prone to be tempted to play a game or chat with a friend instead of researching that history project they should be working on.
Establish guidelines
Before you set your child loose on the internet, establish a set of guidelines with your child. These could include the amount of time spent on the net, the type of sites to be accessed, how personal information should be treated and what is considered as acceptable behaviour towards and from other users.
Unsuitable content
When it comes to research, the net is an unlimited well of information; but there are some pitfalls to researching on the internet: Anyone can post information on the internet, so unlike the trusted encyclopaedias used in my youth any information gathered must be double checked for veracity and accuracy.
Key words used to search for information can lead to some very unpleasant sites. Parental control and filtering software will block most of these sites if the passwords and PIN numbers are kept secret. Speak to your service provider about installing such software.
Urge your child to tell you as soon as they come across any sites with inappropriate material. Take a note of the website's address and report it by calling the Appogg Hotline 179 or by logging on to www.appogg.gov.mt/hotline.
A virtual community
The internet is, of course, more than a research tool; it is also a virtual meeting place. Used wisely, social networking sites such as MySpace, Hi5 and Facebook can provide a platform for youngsters to express themselves creatively and improve their communication skills.
Networking sites offer users the opportunity to create their own page where they can list their name, age and location, favourite things and interests and post pictures and videos.
Users can also keep a blog, an online journal where they can write about anything and everything including activities, feelings and plans. They can also chat with friends, have an e-mail account and post bulletins to friends.
There are a number of ways in which young users can inadvertently put themselves at risk when using networking site.
Revealing too much personal information
Teach your child to select a gender neutral username and never to reveal their name or contact details over the net. Most networking sites have privacy settings that allow users to restrict access to their profile to people they know; encourage your child to use this facility.
Blogging can provide predators with enough information about your child to enable them to strike up a virtual friendship with a view to organising a potentially dangerous meeting.
Photos can also pose a threat to your child. Once something is posted on the internet, you lose control of that item completely. Even if your child has used the privacy settings offered by the site, there is nothing to stop somebody from copying their photo and pasting it somewhere else on the net. Urge your youngsters to avoid posting photos that have identifying features such as school uniforms as this can help others trace their location.
Making new friends is an enticing prospect but children should be made aware that not everything is what it seems in cyberspace. Their 14-year-old new best friend may well be a middle-aged predator and it is wise to restrict their friends' list to people they have already met in real life.
Ill-advised posts can have serious repercussions on your child's future. What goes on the net, stays on the net and may be viewed by current teachers and future employers. A useful criteria to use when posting comments or pictures would be: "Do I want my friends and family to see this?" If the answer is no, then it shouldn't be posted.
If your child makes a new friend online, there are some indicators that should set alarm bells ringing. Among them is a request for personal information such as telephone or mobile phone numbers, school details or photos. A main advantage of the virtual world is that children have the power to retain control of any encounter. Whenever they feel uncomfortable with any exchange, they should save the chat, disconnect and tell an adult about their experience. The saved chat can then be submitted as evidence when reporting the incident.
Teenagers should never meet a friend they have encountered over the internet alone. If a virtual friendship is to become a real one, initial meetings should take place in the company of a trusted adult.
• If you or your child are concerned about any website or internet encounter call Appogg's Hotline 179 or log on to www.appogg.gov.mt/hotline
Just as parents protect their children from danger in the real world, a few simple precautions can help keep children safe in cyberspace.
Setting up your PC
Computers with internet access should ideally be set up in the family's living areas and not in the child's bedroom. This will help you monitor how and when your youngster is surfing the net.
Closeted in their bedroom with the world literally at their fingertips, even the most dutiful students are prone to be tempted to play a game or chat with a friend instead of researching that history project they should be working on.
Establish guidelines
Before you set your child loose on the internet, establish a set of guidelines with your child. These could include the amount of time spent on the net, the type of sites to be accessed, how personal information should be treated and what is considered as acceptable behaviour towards and from other users.
Unsuitable content
When it comes to research, the net is an unlimited well of information; but there are some pitfalls to researching on the internet: Anyone can post information on the internet, so unlike the trusted encyclopaedias used in my youth any information gathered must be double checked for veracity and accuracy.
Key words used to search for information can lead to some very unpleasant sites. Parental control and filtering software will block most of these sites if the passwords and PIN numbers are kept secret. Speak to your service provider about installing such software.
Urge your child to tell you as soon as they come across any sites with inappropriate material. Take a note of the website's address and report it by calling the Appogg Hotline 179 or by logging on to www.appogg.gov.mt/hotline.
A virtual community
The internet is, of course, more than a research tool; it is also a virtual meeting place. Used wisely, social networking sites such as MySpace, Hi5 and Facebook can provide a platform for youngsters to express themselves creatively and improve their communication skills.
Networking sites offer users the opportunity to create their own page where they can list their name, age and location, favourite things and interests and post pictures and videos.
Users can also keep a blog, an online journal where they can write about anything and everything including activities, feelings and plans. They can also chat with friends, have an e-mail account and post bulletins to friends.
There are a number of ways in which young users can inadvertently put themselves at risk when using networking site.
Revealing too much personal information
Teach your child to select a gender neutral username and never to reveal their name or contact details over the net. Most networking sites have privacy settings that allow users to restrict access to their profile to people they know; encourage your child to use this facility.
Blogging can provide predators with enough information about your child to enable them to strike up a virtual friendship with a view to organising a potentially dangerous meeting.
Photos can also pose a threat to your child. Once something is posted on the internet, you lose control of that item completely. Even if your child has used the privacy settings offered by the site, there is nothing to stop somebody from copying their photo and pasting it somewhere else on the net. Urge your youngsters to avoid posting photos that have identifying features such as school uniforms as this can help others trace their location.
Making new friends is an enticing prospect but children should be made aware that not everything is what it seems in cyberspace. Their 14-year-old new best friend may well be a middle-aged predator and it is wise to restrict their friends' list to people they have already met in real life.
Ill-advised posts can have serious repercussions on your child's future. What goes on the net, stays on the net and may be viewed by current teachers and future employers. A useful criteria to use when posting comments or pictures would be: "Do I want my friends and family to see this?" If the answer is no, then it shouldn't be posted.
If your child makes a new friend online, there are some indicators that should set alarm bells ringing. Among them is a request for personal information such as telephone or mobile phone numbers, school details or photos. A main advantage of the virtual world is that children have the power to retain control of any encounter. Whenever they feel uncomfortable with any exchange, they should save the chat, disconnect and tell an adult about their experience. The saved chat can then be submitted as evidence when reporting the incident.
Teenagers should never meet a friend they have encountered over the internet alone. If a virtual friendship is to become a real one, initial meetings should take place in the company of a trusted adult.
• If you or your child are concerned about any website or internet encounter call Appogg's Hotline 179 or log on to www.appogg.gov.mt/hotline