PC's - Are your kids supervised?

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quahappy
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Old news in a way but still proves how many parents out there are unaware of the dangers and perils of the internet, chat rooms, etc there children are getting into to. I'm a strong believer that it IS the parents duty to ensure PC's are "locked down" so any form of websites, like chat rooms, can not be accessed, or at all browsing done under supervision. It is actually a sad fact, that a lot of children know more on how to use a computer than parents. My kids get an hour a day (not everyday) and this time is only to be used for school work and nothing else. If they want to chat - they have there brothers, sisters and friends to talk to. If they want to play games, they have there DS's, Wii and other toys.

I still don't think enough information is out there that needs to be given direct to parents who know very little of PC's and the Internet to explain in English how to protect there children.
51% of kids surf the web unsupervised

New guidelines to protect young web users

Carrie-Ann Skinner

More than half of teens frequently surf the web without any supervision, according to a study from MSN.

The research into the online habits of 20,000 14-19 years olds in Europe also revealed that 29 percent of teenage web users admitted they had been bullied online.

"We were surprised that it's over 50 percent without any parental control," said John Mangelaars, head of Microsoft's consumer and online divisions in Europe.

"They [teens] still need help and guidance on how to tackle emerging issues such as online bullying," added Mangelaars.

Visit Broadband Advisor for the latest internet news, reviews, tips & tricks - and to take advantage of PC Advisor's unique, independent Broadband Speed Tester

The research comes as the European Commission unveiled new safety guidelines designed to protect youngsters online. The guidelines, unveiled today to mark the sixth Safer Internet Day, have been signed by a number of websites popular with teens, including social networking sites Facebook, Bebo and video-sharing site YouTube.

By signing the agreement, the firms have agreed to implement steps that protect youngsters, such as including a 'Report Abuse' button online, and making the profiles of under 18s private by default.

EU Commissioner for information society and media, Viviane Reding, said the agreement was "an important step forward towards making our children's clicks on social networking sites safer in Europe".

"I will closely monitor the implementation of today's agreement and the Commission will come back to this matter in a year's time," she added.

Source: PC Advisor - http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=110647&
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garmabeaneth
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i keep both of my computers in common living areas. with high traffic of an adult near by. shoulder checks are done regularly.
my teenage daughter wanted to get an email account. in order for her to have one she had to agree to let me know the pass word so i can do random checks. i rarely ever check but she knows i can. this is the same with her facebook account. i know the password and can check in when ever i feel like it.
if i leave my daughter at home while out running errands she is not allowed to be on chat programs including msn.
it is hard to tell a teenager that the restrictions on them concerning the internet aren't because you distrust them, but you don't trust other people on the net.
having something like net nanny on my pc would drive me nuts! so this is my comprimise.
its much more harder for parents of today to be more suavy in the technical dept.
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tunebud
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I wonder what the percentage is in the U.S. it wouldn't surprise me if it was higher. Have you seen some of the stuff out there on places like YouTube and Myspace, it crazy. Beat down videos, young people posting provocative pictures it's unreal.

Yes it seems a whole lot of teens I have seen are a more computer savvy than any adult. They have grown up with one in there living room. They learn the workings of, or tinker around with, were an adult knows it's value (they bought it) and wont do a lot of things a child will just click to see what it does. Not only that the repetitive retention a child has over an adult plays a majore factor here.

Were most adults only use one for small business or e-mails it's all about a social tool or a toy to teens, and I am not sure they know what there getting into. They don't realize what they post stays saved as some data somewhere and may come back to bite them in there adult hood. They have an unfounded realization of "well I deleted it, so it's gone" attitude. A good example of negative feed back is look at all the adults now, who made a bad decision in youth without the internet, were only a few people knew, (not millions) and now are paying a price for it.

Lets not even mention the fact how laws can be changed. Can you just imagine in the future someone didn't get a job at the age of 25 at a post office or another government job, not because of your criminal record but because you were a cyber bully or posted something unethical at the age of 17 or even 19-20. What if you grew to be an elected official, news anchor, or any other public viewed job an suddenly things you put on the internet came to light, not a very subtle thought is it.

What if a parent were to be held accountable for any such actions? What if the laws change and a parent is punishable for neglect? Lets take a common thing like some of the beating videos posted on Youtube. If a parent became "by law" punishable not only for the fighting, but also for the allowing posting of such things, were would that all lead? Then lets just say if a child runs across an online pedo, or stalker, not only is that person committing a criminal act so would be the parent. In such a case a parent could also be charged, held by a fine, the possibility of jail, and/or a child could be removed from a home for neglect.

On a personal note my child has pretty much free rein of the internet, for three reasons. 1. I don't want them left behind other children. I know it sounds selfish or whatever you add to call it, but like the poll says over 50% do already. Children are mean to each other I rather have mine a social butterfly or at least accepted by the mass majority rather than an outcast or a target. I realize I don't have total control over this, at the same time I am not going to exercise my control to cause it. 2. Is simply enlightenment of information. Good or bad it's out there on the internet and it's just a click or two away. I don't think anyone buys an Encyclopedia anymore. Not because it's wrong or just a book, but because it is just one brief description of a given subject. The World Wide Web offers a whole array of ideas and opinions. I feel a child has a right to all opinions, ideas as well as "just facts" so they can grow to there own conclusion of those. As a parent it is my responsibility to see they grow with moral fiber to take that knowledge and allow them to conclude to the right one. 3. I have a keylogger and another program installed that allows me to sit on my computer and look at everything done at anytime. I can add, delete, respond to, chat with, take hold of the mouse even. I can see every key stroke made by them or anyone else. My child knows this is expected and accepted, it as a rule of good parenting and proper edicut of a child to allow for the better of both parties. They also realizes I will check to see if anything has been done with any of the accounts while visiting with friends/relatives were I do lose some of my control. Funny yet amusing my child don't see any of this is wrong but rather other(s) children/parent seem just a tad to the right out of place.
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garmabeaneth
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tune.. .i think you make a very valid point about how your child doesn't complain about the fact that you can and will check up on them. you have been up front with your child about these programs on the computer(s) they may use. it doesn't feel like entrapment when they're fully aware of what kind of things you can see them do on the computer.
yer a good daddy! well done!
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quahappy
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My eldest two kids (9 and 11) now regularly have to log onto a site called "Sam Learning" which I think, imho, stinks. Not the website, but the fact they are having to use it to for further education and is supposedly now a major part of their education. I'm sorry, back in my day, when I used to get homework, it was to do with stuff that I had been taught that day and was given questions or to research (library - remember them?!) and write an essay, etc.

All Sam Learning is doing, is teaching them stuff they've yet to learn and my argument is: whats the flipping point of going to school? What of those who still don't have Internet?

Yeah, technology has moved forward but I see kids in twenty years time with hunched shoulders, curved spines, and overweight through lack of exercise. Fortunately, my wife and I severely limit the time they do spend on this site (and in general) because our argument is (as well as above), PROPER homework comes first; y'know, where you have to write stuff down or work out things, in your head without use of computers or calculators.

I feel sorry for those kids whose parents are still oblivious to the amount of time they are not supervised because they (kids) probably have PC's in there bedrooms. When you think of the report I mentioned in first post of this topic some time ago, nothing has really changed. :(
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Luckily, neither of our kids has a computer yet, though our son has been promised a laptop for his 8th birthday (in December). I have no plans to allow it to connect to the web and have already decided to block it at the router level.
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