Childproof computing

There’s no doubt that the internet is a great resource.

It’s especially useful if you have children, allowing them instant access to a range of information that’s far beyond what previous generations could have at home.

On the other hand, there are also potential dangers out there: things you’d rather they didn’t see, and people you’d rather they didn’t talk to.

These dangers need to be put in proportion: for all the press reports of online predators or unsavoury websites, the bad apples are still a tiny minority and the advantages of using the web vastly outweigh the drawbacks. Nevertheless, as a parent, you’ll rightly be concerned about what your kids do online.

In this feature we’ll look at how parental-control software can help you make sure you know what your kids are doing with the computer and keep them out of harm’s way.

Safety net
Few people would disagree that the internet can be a great tool for kids and their parents. Children can look up information, work with other people online or even chat to friends far away, increasing their understanding of the world and helping with their studies. But there are also drawbacks, such as sites full of hate speech or sexual imagery, and people who may try to chat to your children with less than pure motives.

So what can you do to help make sure your children can use the internet in safety without being exposed to things you’d rather they didn’t see? One of the most common pieces of advice is that you shouldn’t let children have a computer in their room. Instead, put the PC in a common area of the home and supervise them while they use it.

That will certainly give you a good idea of what they’re doing, and it’s especially good advice with younger children, but as children grow older it might not remain practical. We all know teenagers love to complain about their parents, and they’ll hardly feel free to chat to their friends about you if you’re sitting next to them. There’s plenty of other general advice available.

In particular, the Government’s own Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, or CEOP, runs an advice website that contains information for children, parents and guardians.

Controlling interest
Advice is all very well, but what about practical steps? Those of us who have children will have to let them use a computer alone at some point, so it’s vital to take some practical measures to ensure they’re protected.

One good solution is to use software that keeps an eye on what kids are doing on the computer, blocks certain actions and reports back to you on what’s been going on. This kind of program is generally called parental-control software.