Families in the Fast Lane

Making the Most of the Internet

The information superhighway can lead children and families on the high road to pleasures and adventure. Yet like any Interstate or country road, the system of electronic networks which link computers worldwide also holds perils for the unwary traveler. Families that understand the opportunities and risks are best prepared to enjoy their trip on that expanding highway of information and adventure.

CYBERTalk

The information superhighway or cyberspace describe a network of interconnected computers which allow users a one-stop:

Post Office, sending messages electronically via e-mail (text and print or graphics attachments) sent to anyone connected to an Internet mail system.

Phone, engaging in discussion groups (sites for topic comment), chat groups (interactive discussion groups) or list-servs (groups of

e-mail receivers/senders with common interests). A searchable list of mailing lists is found at Tile.Net

Library, accessing books, articles, videos, and recordings from private files to TV stations, colleges, and commercial interests, to the Library of Congress interlinked through the World Wide Web using hypertext formatting and linking and gopher menu and search techniques.

Newspapers, with current events and issues of interest updated daily by newsgroups and USENET, a collection of newsgroups.

Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education. (1997). Parent's Guide to the Internet. Washington, DC: US DOE. and Ann Treacy & Lori Bock. (1996). Surfin' the Net for Kids and Families. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Children, Youth, and Family Consortium.

Internet Technology: Zero to Zillions in Twenty-Five Years

Beginning as a communication network among the Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, and university researchers in the 1970s, the Internet has grown as hardware, software and user interest expanded. The fiber-optic pace of that growth is reflected in the fact that it has grown from 500 hosts in 1983 to 19,540,000 hosts in 1997. Soon the advent of Internet II will separate research and popular providers, reducing overcrowding and enhancing specialized use.

Internet at Home: Asset or Intruder?

Children's use of Internet grew from 4 million in 1996 to 10 million in 1997. As the estimated 10% of homes and classrooms currently online increases, 20 million are expected to access resources electronically by 2002. A recent survey found that 89% of parents viewed computers as crucial to children's educational success. Employment experts estimate that over 50% of jobs in the next decade, especially those in higher-wage categories, will require some computer literacy.

Children can benefit from Internet by:

    Problem solving, fact-gathering, analysis, and writing skills development through use
    of educational resources (news, documents, photos, statistics), learning games, or direct
    communication with experts and peers

    Homework help (encyclopedias, reference sources, e-mail inquiries)

    Ideas for further learning, including suggestions on good books to read, places to go, and
    activities to do at home

    Technology and research skills gained in using a variety of Internet tools

    Visiting places or participating in events otherwise inaccessible due to distance or disability

Children and teens can also be at risk on the Internet.

    Personal risks include:

    Exposure to inappropriate material (sex, violence, hacking software)

    Verbal abuse and harassment

    Bigotry and hate speech

    Enticement into exploitative meeting

    Commercial advertising which is exploitive or inappropriately used

While these risks are unwelcome, families should remember that the Internet is the electronic forum of the First Amendment. Courts and executive agencies acknowledge free speech as its guiding principle, although laws of copyright, libel, solicitation, and misinformation apply to electronic communication. An Internet Engineering Task Force defines technical standards, but no official agency censors 'Net content.

Casting the 'Net Instead of Being Caught in the 'Net

Families play two critical roles in helping children manage public media (Internet, radio, TV, newspapers, books, etc.):

    Protecting against risks
        Setting limits and monitoring safe use
        Screening and restricting access
        Balancing computer use with other activities

    Guiding positive experiences
        Modeling competent and creative use of available resources
        Sharing positive learning and recreational experiences
        Linking on-line experiences with home and community activities
 
 

Protecting against risks - Setting limits and monitoring safe use  Sample a variety of sites and services and consider how they measure up to your family values and each child's capacities.  Compare notes with other parents and expert advice (see "Quality Information" and "Age Appropriateness" below). As a reference point, check the Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS) at www.w3.org/PICS  Explain to each child, simply and clearly, ground rules for Internet use:  Types of sites which are OK/not OK  Time on line and conditions for use (chores/homework done, active and shared use)  Never release personal information (name, address, phone, school name, password, picture) to strangers  Ask permission for face-to-face meetings with Internet contacts (parent should accompany them the first time)  Ask permission for commercial purchases, especially credit card purchases (check vendor credentials, security of transfer)  Post rules at the computer location.  Establish logical consequences for rule violation (user privilege revoked, pay for broken part).  Teach children signs of trouble ("soft porn" on kid site or free offers for name/phone) and test contacts (if "12 year-old girl" isn't really a 40 year-old sex offender)  Limit access by locating computer in family room, used during hours when an adult is home  Monitor regularly to be sure rules are followed.  Use checks to teach rule application and responsible decision-making.  When violations occur, enforce rules calmly but firmly and consistently.  Monitor access in other sites (school, library, friend's house) and topics of discussion with other users (teachers, peers, Internet contacts).

Awareness is the Key to Effectiveness  A parent's involvement as guide and partner is the best guarantee of a child's learning, enjoyment, and safety on the Internet. Since the Web is constantly expanding and changing, adults need to regularly update awareness of available sites and procedures for locating, reviewing, and retaining data. All Internet users must master some basic tools:  Searching: A browser, or program which allows for viewing Web sites while connected to a search engine that helps explore topics or keywords organizes and guides searches. Popular browsers include Netscape, Mosaic, Microsoft Internet Explorer. Examples of search engines are Yahoo, Lycos, Alta Vista, Infoseek, Webcrawler, Magellan, and Excite.  Scanning: Briefly review the source, purpose, and contents of a site and evaluate its relevance and potential benefit to avoid wasting time or dismissing a good source too quickly.  Linking: Use hypertext (highlighted) labels to jump to related sites for additional or more specialized information. Use browser "back" or "return" key to retrace pathway.  Printing/Downloading: Use browser utilities ("File" or "Print") to create a hard copy on a printer or save to disk. Note site URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in upper right corner of printed copy.  Time (and Money) Management: Reduce per-hour costs for phone or connection time by planning use ahead. Those with unlimited service should budget or prioritize use to meet needs of multiple users and demands of other activities.

 

Protecting against Risks - Screening and Restricting Access  Arrange with children to periodically monitor "questionable" sites and discuss their merits (remember that discernment is more valuable than naivete)  Establish a family log of sites visited. A log done under coercion will generally not reveal "forbidden site" visits and may create resentments, but a record may help recall enjoyable sites or help parents track interests and risks.  Become aware of monitoring standards. Several books or Internet sites discuss these issues.  Two helpful sites: "Censorship/Freedom of Speech/Child Safety on the Internet" www.voicenet.com/~cranmer/censorship.html and Safe Surf Home Page www.safesurf.com/index.html. Excite search engine provides another thoughtful discussion on community standards and safe use at http://talk.excite.com/communities/standards  Use blocking services. Software which filters offensive or inappropriate material is not a substitute for parental guidance but may limit exposure or exploration. Sites which use key words may eliminate some useful, inoffensive material (i.e., scientific information on breast cancer, sexually transmitted diseases).  Programs which pre-screen sites cannot keep up with the proliferation of web sites.  Some useful products currently reviewed online:      CyberPatrol           www.cyberpatrol.com      Cybersitter              www.solidoak.com/cysitter.htm      GuardiaNet           www.guardianet.net/home.htm      Net Nanny           www.netsales.net/pk.wcgi/netnan-ss      Net Shepherd           www.shepherd.net  In addition, several providers (America Online, CompuServe, Prodigy) offer screening services and browsers (i.e., Microsoft) and web sites (i.e., Disney) offer sets of pretested "kid safe" sites to users.

Eureka:   How to Tell if You've Found a Gold Mine  Content:  What is the site's stated purpose..and what is my purpose in using site information?  What is the age appropriateness of the information and format?  What is the breadth and depth of information presented and the quality and credibility of links?  Is the information up-to-date?  Authorship:  Are the creators/contributors/publishers of the site knowedgeable and accurate?  What is the source or bias of the information? (viewpoint, commercial interest)  Readability:  What is the level and quality of the writing? (grade/age level, spelling and grammar, clarity)  How difficult is this site to scan through (computer time, hassle), print, or download?  Source: University of Minnesota Children, Youth, and Family Consortium, (1997). Surfing' the net for kids and families. www.cyfc.umn.ed/surfin.html

Old Enough to Surf: Appropriate Involvement for Children

While there is little research to indicate what is too much or exactly the right kind of Internet use for children at various stages, what we know about development and learning in other settings provides some guidance:

Ages 2-3: Watching family members or playing with preschool CD-ROM or software programs (rather than working online) introduces toddlers to computer fun, learning, and how-to skills.

A parent can help by holding a child in the lap as he/she plays on the computer, introducing the child to mouse or keyboard skills, or sharing a children's book or video program.

Ages 4-7: Older preschoolers show greater interest and learn more quickly, although they still require assistance. A wealth and diversity of recreational and educational software and CD-ROMs is available, although time on computers is still a relatively low priority. Parents can teach simple procedures and introduce a preschooler to e-mail, interactive software and sites (games, drawing programs, with printer), and many kinds of learning experiences (science and geography as well as cartoon sites). Contact with schools, libraries, and other sites where children use computers will help a parent keep up on issues and options generally as well as on the progress and interests of a particular child.

Ages 8-11: Middle school-age children are ready and able to use the Internet for a variety of recreational and educational resources such as online encyclopedias, specialized information and interactive sites, and e-mail to relatives or worldwide pen pals. Careful attention to protection and guidance at this age can encourage productive use, balanced lifestyle, and positive habits into the teen years.

Ages 12-14: Experienced pre-teens can move to more sophisticated research resources, scan and evaluate sites more capably, and work on projects with peers or experts in remote locations. More online services and chat groups are geared to this age group, which means guidance and monitoring is more important than ever.

Ages 15-18: Mid- to late-teens can build on early experience by accessing multimedia and specialized sites for school reports and personal interests. Information about job opportunities, internships, colleges, and scholarships can assist them in transition to adulthood. Surfing the 'Net together may be one of the most enjoyable ways for parents to interact with this busy age group. More experienced teens may also be interested in sharing their knowledge with schools or community organizations.

Keep Riding the Wave: Girls on the Web

At the elementary school level, girls and boys are equally capable using computers and access many of the same types of programs. By the teen years, boys are much more likely to use computers (although girls use computers more for school work), a gap that increases in the young adult years. Parents may need to encourage daughters to continue and specialize their software and Internet use to access school resources and build skills for careers.

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Source: Childrens Partnership. (1997). Children online: The ABCs for parents. www.childrenspartnership.org/parentguide
 
Protecting against Risks - Balance: Life is More than Computer Literacy

An often overlooked risk of computer/Internet use is the unbalanced development and lifestyle created by endless hours--or exclusive priorities--on computer use. To keep computer use in perspective, the following ideas may be appropriate:

• Balance recreational and educational uses (hopefully blending them at times)

    Schedule time on the Internet (away from peak hours) and take breaks for exercise.
• Exercise

    Use sports stories or lessons/records on fitness to track physical conditioning.
• Reading and writing

    Use stories on line or chat group as a catalyst to creative writing
• Social interaction:

    Join e-mail and chat groups focused on learning.
    Encourage shared use of a computer among siblings or friends to reduce shyness or
    widen social circles.
• Spiritual development

    Access meditations (available for a variety of faiths on-line) or descriptions of community
    service to facilitate (not replace) reflection, learning traditions, or helping others.

November 8, 2009