THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 11, 1995 TAG: 9507110048
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MATTHEW BOWERS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
COMPUTERS CREATE instant access to a world of information and people. They also are creating a ``new dimension in parenting,'' says Laurie A. Lipper of The Children's Partnership, a nonpartisan research and advocacy group for children's issues.
``Parents have to recognize that this is a new playground,'' Lipper said from her Washington office. ``Just like any playground, kids will find great friends. . . . But they also have the chance to run into bullies, or unsavory characters, or, at worst, dangerous people.''
The ``new playground'' is a hot topic. Lipper recently co-wrote a 40-page report - ``America's Children and the Information Superhighway'' - and is working with the National PTA on a parents' guide to the same.
She and other children's experts offered some tips for parents whose children go online:
Become familiar with what's out there in the online-computer world. Talk to other parents or computer users. Read up on the Internet and commercial online services.
Make ``Net Surfing'' a family activity. Sit with your children at the computer and explore the Internet together. Ask them to teach you how to access various services and show you their favorite sites.
If you have concerns about your children's online activities, talk with them about it.
Keep the computer in a family room or other open place, not in a child's bedroom.
Steer your children to fun or interesting sites appropriate to their age. ``Family Surfboard'' is one site on the World Wide Web (http://www.sjbennett.com/users/sjb/surf.html) that provides a list of features, games and other Web sites for children.
Set family rules:
Tell your children never to give out identifying information - home address, telephone number, school name - in public messages to discussion groups, or by electronic mail, to anyone you don't know or trust. Be careful about divulging personal information such as age, marital status or financial information. Consider using a pseudonym or unlisting your children's names if your service allows it.
Tell them never to arrange face-to-face meetings without a parent's permission. If arranging one, meet first in a public place and accompany your child.
Tell them never to respond to messages that are suggestive, obscene, threatening or that make them - or you - feel uncomfortable. Encourage your children to tell you about such messages. If they receive any, send copies to your online-service provider and ask for help.
Consider posting near your computer the rules for its use.
Set reasonable guidelines for computer use, including the time your children may spend on it. Excessive use, particularly late at night, may be a sign of trouble.
Get to know their online ``friends'' the same as you do their neighborhood or school friends.
Remind your children that other people on the computer may not be who they say they are - a ``12-year-old girl'' could really be a 40-year-old man.
Remind them also that everything they read online may not be true. Be particularly careful about offers that involve attending meetings or someone visiting your home.
Use your online services' restrictive mechanisms, such as America Online's ``Parental Control'' feature that allows parents to block access to certain areas.
Consider installing commercially available software such as SurfWatch (800-458-6600) or Net Nanny (604-662-8522) to block access to certain topic areas, such as ``sex'' or ``making bombs.''
Know the computer habits at your children's friends' homes. It won't do any good to block things from your computer if your children can just go somewhere else without blocks.
If you become aware of online child pornography, report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in Arlington (800-843-5678), and notify your online service.
The bottom line, the experts say, is that your children deserve some privacy in their computer use, but they also need your guidance and protection, just as in all other aspects of their lives. MEMO: Sources: The Children's Partnership, National Center for Missing &
Exploited Children, The National Parenting CenterSources: The Children's
Partnership, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, The
National Parenting Center
KEYWORDS: INTERNET by CNB