Fuzzi Geeks

 So, it was about six months ago when I was flipping through the channel guide and stumbled across a show called “To Catch a Predator”.  After watching just a few minutes I figured I needed to do whatever I could to get the word out to parents on how to protect children from the threats that lurk on the Internet.

Most online chat sites have public places where people go to meet each other, think of it as a crowded bar.  Once you start chatting with someone, you can make your discussion a little more private by going in to a private chat room.  This is typically where the real damage is done.  I’m sure I don’t need to go in to the horrible details, especially if you have seen that show I mentioned above.  Oh, and if you haven’t seen it yet, go to www.Youtube.com and search “To Catch a Predator”.  It will turn your stomach when you see who is online luring kids in to adult situations. 

The second fallacy is downloading music, while some music is free – local artists who publish their music online – most artists require that you buy their music if you want to play it on your MP3 device.  So, if your children are playing the Billboard Top 20 on their MP3 players and you didn’t flip the bill for it, chances are they stole it via a Peer-to-Peer application.  Unless of course they have paying jobs and they are honestly buying their music, in which case this isn’t a problem for you.

lot of questions for you regarding the 30 pop-up windows you had to close when you booted up your computer today.  If you or someone in your household uses a P2P application, there is a good chance your documents are open for other people out on the Internet to download.  Most P2P applications will by default share your My Documents folder to make sure the music you download is shared a

 Now, you may be wondering why this is important to me.  Well let’s set aside the fact that it is illegal, and morally wrong to steal anything – even electronic copy of music.  I mean you wouldn’t let your kid steal a CD from your local Walmart, why turn a blind eye to them illegally downloading music online?  The real risk that impacts every computer user in your home is P2P applications typically come with built in adware.  For those of you who don’t know what it is; check out this link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adware).  It may answer again once it’s on your machine so someone else can download it from you.  So, as you might have guessed those tax documents you have sitting on your computer might be floating across the Internet as you’re reading this blog.  Still feeling safe in your home? 

My third and final fallacy for this document is, “My child isn’t surfing porn, he/she is a good kid”…  It’s no wonder that 90% of 8-16 year olds have viewed porn online (most while doing homework) (http://www.healthymind.com/s-porn-stats.html).  Whether your child comes across it accidentally or intentionally, porn is all over the Internet.  In 2006 the porn industry generated more than 13 Billion dollars in online revenue (http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics.html) that number continues to grow every year.  What does that mean for your children that are surfing?  Well since there is so much money to be had in the online porn business, more and more people will want a cut of the action, which means more and more sites will come online.  The best way to effectively manage this risk is with a URL filter. 

The question everyone asks is how do I make sure my kids aren’t getting in to trouble online?  Well I’ve compiled some simple tips that will help you make sure your kids are using the Internet safely. 

1.       Place your computer in a common area of the house.  DO NOT let kids have a computer that is connected to the Internet in their bedroom.  It is much harder for a predator to establish a relationship with your child if the screen is easily visible to other members of the family. 

2.       Talk to your kids about safe and ethical browsing habits.

3.       Install a URL filter on the computer.  While these aren’t fool-proof, they will help to keep track of what your kids are doing.  If you notice periods of time that are not being logged, and you know your kids were online it is very likely they have found a way to disable the URL filter.

4.       If you allow your kids to use a social networking site, make sure you get their username and password so you can monitor the information they are sharing with others and who they are communicating with. 

5.       Do not allow your children to use chat rooms.  I understand this may not work for everyone, so if you are going to allow your kids to chat online, make sure that an adult is nearby and monitoring the conversation.  You can also use tools to record their keystrokes and takes screenshots.

6.       Don’t allow young children to have their own e-mail address, allow your children to use a “family” account.  Once they are old enough to have their own account, make sure you have access to monitor it.  It may seem like invasion of their privacy, but keeping them safe means you can have that discussion when they turn 18.

7.       Share these ideas with the parents of your child’s friends. 

While I don’t think parents should prevent their kids from using the Internet, I think some smart planning and communication can help to make their online experience as uneventful and safe as possible.