In the earlier days people would refer to books and resources in public libraries to gain information and conduct research. With the advent of the internet and home computing, the process involved in accessing data has been simplified. People can now logon to their personal computing devices to conduct research, study materials, or even prepare for a million dollar presentation. This ease of accessibility to information has encouraged many students and teachers alike to turn to the internet for additional study resources. It has made studying and preparing for projects easier as students can gain ideas from multiple sources. However, this ease of accessibility to the internet is available to a wide range of users from different parts of the world making the internet a risky place. Parents and tutors often downplay the probability of their children being victims to internet foul play. Increasing number of students and children are turning to social network, chat groups and online forums for gaining additional learning information. This, although useful for learning, has a serious negative consequence if conversations divert away from the topic in discussion which could lead to cyber-bullying, exposure to age appropriate content, stalkers. The threat is also significant as there are no guardians monitoring conversations on these forums. Besides the threat on social groups, children are prone to other dangers such as viruses and Trojans as a result of accessing websites that may appear harmless. Teachers, Schools and parents play a vital role in safeguarding their children on the Internet. Here are a few steps parents can take to ensure their child's safety.
Parents should fix set-times for which their child is allowed to use the internet. Parents should also set a maximum time limit for using the internet. This time frame should be scheduled in a manner that the parents are home and available to conduct random spot checks on their child's activity. This type of supervision and random spot checks can create a sense of barrier in the child's mind, thereby, restricting them from accessing potentially harmful content.
Plug-ins and monitoring tools can also be installed on computers that can be used to monitor internet activity. These tools can filter and flag inappropriate content which can be particularly useful as it may not be possible for guardians to monitor their child's online activity at all times.
The most basic form of online protection and often the most ignored one is, communication. Guardians often neglect the positive impact of directly confronting their children with the dangers of the internet. Parents and teachers must involve in regular dialogues with their kids to inform them of things considered appropriate and those considered inappropriate on the internet. Children should also be encouraged to speak-up and communicate to an elder in case of a bad experience faced online.
Global Indian International School in Abu Dhabi conducts regular talks and training session on the ethics, dangers and safe use of the internet. All teachers undergo regular training on the best practices of safe and ethical internet usage. The Community Police of Abu Dhabi has also conducted various sessions for parents and students on how to use the internet effectively, the methods of sensing harm and reporting channels. The school also employs state-of-art IT defense mechanisms to protect users from harmful content. These include physical as well software based protection. All laptops and devices in the school are installed with an Anti-Virus and Internet security software that protects data from harmful viruses and also filters inappropriate content.
Parents should fix set-times for which their child is allowed to use the internet. Parents should also set a maximum time limit for using the internet. This time frame should be scheduled in a manner that the parents are home and available to conduct random spot checks on their child's activity. This type of supervision and random spot checks can create a sense of barrier in the child's mind, thereby, restricting them from accessing potentially harmful content.
Plug-ins and monitoring tools can also be installed on computers that can be used to monitor internet activity. These tools can filter and flag inappropriate content which can be particularly useful as it may not be possible for guardians to monitor their child's online activity at all times.
The most basic form of online protection and often the most ignored one is, communication. Guardians often neglect the positive impact of directly confronting their children with the dangers of the internet. Parents and teachers must involve in regular dialogues with their kids to inform them of things considered appropriate and those considered inappropriate on the internet. Children should also be encouraged to speak-up and communicate to an elder in case of a bad experience faced online.
Global Indian International School in Abu Dhabi conducts regular talks and training session on the ethics, dangers and safe use of the internet. All teachers undergo regular training on the best practices of safe and ethical internet usage. The Community Police of Abu Dhabi has also conducted various sessions for parents and students on how to use the internet effectively, the methods of sensing harm and reporting channels. The school also employs state-of-art IT defense mechanisms to protect users from harmful content. These include physical as well software based protection. All laptops and devices in the school are installed with an Anti-Virus and Internet security software that protects data from harmful viruses and also filters inappropriate content.