Childproofing the Internet

Host David Snell allows that cautious parents might want to consider installing Internet filtering software that blocks out objectionable sites, but he suggests a better route might be to sit down and discuss the situation with the child, setting up ground rules and making exploring the web a family affair. Adopting a calm, reasoned tone, Childproofing the Internet shares a number of do's and don'ts with worried parents, suggesting that they place the computer in a family area as opposed to a bedroom, limit time spent on the computer, make a "contract" agreed to by both parent and child, and allow older children some leeway in their surfing choices. Parents are also offered specific tips for setting up parental control features on AOL, shown how to check the "history" file to periodically monitor their child's paths through the wild, wild web (with the suggestion that the children be told of this), and taken through the steps of making a kid-friendly site (such as "Yahooligans") the family "start" page in either the Internet Explorer or Netscape browsers. In addition, Snell interviews school psychologist Carol Freeman, who touches on privacy concerns of adolescents, the importance of keeping a watchful eye out for changed behaviors (signs of secrecy or withdrawal), and--above all--reminds parents that when used prudently, the web is both a wonderful tool to help children explore the world and a good family activity for those parents who are willing to make the effort. Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)