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Fall 2006 NewsletterSafe Surfing
The Internet has opened us up to a whole new way of life. We can find information on any topic imaginable, share pictures with family and friends all over the world, book entire vacations, even buy our groceries from the comfort of our desk chair. However, like most things, along with all the Internet's seemingly limitless possibilities, comes a new set of hazards that we must be aware of; especially when it comes to our children. A new "Teens and Technology" report from the "Pew Internet and American Life Project" found 87 percent of American teens age 12 to 17 used the Internet in 2004, up from 73 percent in 2000. The frequency of teens' online usage has also risen 51 percent since that time, and the number of teens who report they go online daily is up from 42 percent in 2000. Pew also found 51 percent of online teens live in homes with broadband Internet access. It is interesting to note also that in Though they can fire out ten instant messages a minute and write a well researched paper in one night, they are often unaware of the dangers that the Internet presents. We, here at EasyTechCare, can help make sure that you and your children are safe to surf for the coming school year. There are some simple things that you can do to get on the road to computer safety. Start by making sure that your computer is in a central room in which everyone spends time, that way you can periodically check in on your children's surfing habits. It is also a good idea to establish a set of reasonable rules for time spent online. A few websites (such as Yahooligans or CyberAngels, see below) provide an agreement for children to sign to indicate that they agree to follow the rules provided; or you and your children can get together and create your own set of guidelines. Involving them in the rule making process increases the chances that they will stick to them later. The rules should include things like never giving away personal information, such as their real name, school, pictures, or passwords, understanding the importance of "netiquette", and knowing not to open any attachments from an unknown sender. You can customize these guidelines to your children, their needs and usage in areas like whether they need supervision, the types of sites they can visit, or the amount of time they are allowed to spend online. Once they are done, leave the rules somewhere near the computer so that they are readily accessible and your children can familiarize themselves with them. A fun and educational way to test their Internet safety knowledge would be a visit to http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/quiz/newsid_3078000/3078351.stm and have them take the free quiz There are also things you can do on your computer to make it kid-friendly. To keep tabs on surfing habits, your web browser can also offers features to restrict access to certain sites, customize a content rating system, and keep a history of pages visited (see "Tip of the Month" for more info). For information on more thorough parental control software, visit http://canada.kidsdomain.com/features/safesurf/tools.html. Being aware of where you children are going and what they are doing is a good way to ensure that they stay away from potential dangers. Keeping Windows up-to-date will help to ensure that your computer is safe from security threats and running smoothly. Kids are likely to open files or attachments in files from an unknown sender out of curiosity not knowing that they can contain harmful things like viruses, or worse inappropriate or disturbing images and messages. Because the average computer user doesn't know what updates would best benefit them and might not remember to update their computers as often as is advised, most critical updates are automatically downloaded by your computer, but sometimes updates designed to increase performance and reliability are not included. You can find the latest updates at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com. Internet security software plays a vital role in maintaining a safe computer. Anti-virus and anti-spyware programs are essential in keeping your computer free of harmful and annoying intruders. Because these programs use virus and spyware "dictionaries" to identify potential threats, it is essential to keep them updated. If this information feels a little overwhelming, not to worry, EasyTechCare can help keep your kids surfing safely with our SPECIAL BACK-TO-SCHOOL OFFER of a total system optimization for only $90. This includes updating and running your anti-virus and anti-spyware programs, and updating Windows. Though being protected against security threats is important, it is not the only thing that can help optimize your computer for the year ahead. Cleaning and organization can help to prevent lost files and clutter, give you the maximum amount of space on your hard drive, and make your computer a nicer place to be. We can get your computer back-to-school ready by running "clean disc", organizing your files, cleaning up your desktop icons, cleaning and dusting it, untangle that inevitable spider web of cables under your desk, and answer any questions you may have about your systems performance. As long as you are properly protected and everyone knows the safe surfing rules, the Internet can be a helpful tool for fun and learning, and the task of protecting your children online doesn't seem so intimidating. If you are still feeling worried and have any additional questions about online safety or anything computer related, feel free to contact us via phone or our "easyAsk" chat feature available from the website. With all the homework, projects, and instant messages to friends ahead, it is nice to know that EasyTechCare can help keep your kids surfing safe and take some of the worry out of back-to-school time. Some Safe Surfing Sites: Family Pledge Agreements: Tip of the Month (continued)
General: Security: Privacy: Content: Content Advisor provides a way to help you control the types of content that your computer can gain access to on the Internet. After you turn on Content Advisor, only rated content that meets or exceeds your criteria can be viewed. You can adjust the settings. With Content Advisor, you can:
Content Advisor is set to the most conservative (least likely to offend) settings when you first turn it on. You can adjust these settings to match your own preferences. Not all Internet content is rated. If you choose to allow other people to view unrated sites on your computer, some of those sites could contain inappropriate material. For more Tips and Help, call EasyTechCare at 416-987-EASY (3279) |
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most households parents are fully aware of what their children are up to on the net with over half of them (54%) reporting that they have some kind of monitoring or filtering device in place on their home computer. Sixty-four percent of parents went a step further and said they set rules for their teens' online time. Both parents (65 percent) and teens (64 percent) believe teens aren't doing anything online that they don't want their parents to know about. Despite parents' best efforts though, kids will be kids and parents may want to keep a keen eye out none the less.
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