The ParentsConnected Guide to Online Safety

Would you let your child wander around a busy unfamiliar city by him or herself, with no maps and no supervision? Of course not! The Internet can be like that city, but parents and teachers need not fear it. With a lot of common sense, a few guidelines, and some software help, the World Wide Web can be a safe place for the whole family. Presented as a seminar, The ParentsConnected Guide to Online Safety covers the two major risks to kids (exposure to objectionable material and cyberstalking), as well as concerns for adults (such as spam and credit-card safety). Unfortunately, while the content offers basic but solid advice, the presentation falls flat: the two hosts' credentials are never established, they rush through material as if the TelePrompter was scrolling too fast, and no actual demonstrations are shown (just talking heads intercut with a vaguely interested studio audience). Finally, toward the end there is a completely gratuitous commercial product push for one of the video's sponsors. Yes, the Internet needs to be demystified, but this is not the program to accomplish that goal. A better choice here would be Childproofing the Internet (VL-7/00). Two other titles in the series are also available: The ParentsConnected Guide to Internet Basics and The ParentsConnected Guide to Family Activities Online. Aud: P. (E. Gieschen)