Thirty years ago we lived in the Age of Aquarius; today we live in the age of the Internet. The differences are like and day, but the violence is the one difference that actually matters. Instead of peace and love being the national motto, we are living in a time of internet predators and identity theft. The worst part of this situation is the fact that the children are more in-tune with the knowledge of the computers than those who are sworn to protect them from it.
One poll conducted on the use of texting between children and parents shows that the average typing speed of child “texter’s” is 78 words per minute, while the average parent is only able to text about 7 words per minute. The use of phone internet and computer internet sources are increasing daily and the majority of the users are children under the age of fourteen. It is said that most adults should attend a local computer course to prepare themselves and give them the knowledge they need to protect their family from harm’s way. Children are very curious in nature; the more they are told to beware, the more they begin to wonder why. This seems logical but it remains to be a scary fact. To protect your children you must learn to be one step ahead of their curiosity.
Local libraries offer free classes on computer and internet basic and safety classes can be found through community outreach programs offered by various local groups. Check online for local classes conducted by free agencies, local charities, and parent groups. You may be surprised by the amount of free information that is out there and available to you. You can learn how to set parental controls, view browsing history, set passwords, block inappropriate sites and text, and be the household monitor of the computer in your home.
Take control and be in the “Know”. One wrong move can land the right information into the wrong hands. Children can have their identities stolen, just as readily as adults, if the information is handed to the wrong people and sent to the wrong places. Children can easily open private internet email accounts and store private information in these “secret accounts”; even diary websites are open to public viewing at the push of a button. You have the power to take control, take the classes, and take the safety of your household internet connection back.