June was National Internet Safety Month. Aimed at educating adults as well as kids on the dangers of the internet. Our friends over at ParentFurther.com is helping with this issue by writing helpful tips for your family.
Keeping Kids Safe Online::
Kids are turning to the internet for everything from hanging out with friends to shopping, making it harder to keep track of all your kids’ online activities. That’s why most Internet Service Providers (such as Verizon, AOL, and Comcast) provide free blockers, filers, and trackers designed to help you keep track of and manager your kids’ online activities.
If your child has internet access that’s mobile (such as on a cell phone or a laptop computer), it will be more difficult to monitor and control your child’s internet use.
Content blockers and filters are great tools to use with younger kids. They allow you more control over where they go and what they do online. A content blocker blocks sites with explicit material or limits a child’s search to a predetermined set of sites. A content filter scans sites and images and blocks those that contain certain words, key phrases, or content.
Keep in mind that content blockers may sometimes block sites that are just fine for your kids. That’s why tracking software may be more effective; remember, though, that you need to take time on a regular basis to check on your child’s internet activity.
Consider tracking software for older teenagers. This software enables you to see which sites your children have visited, tracking their path online. This tool gives young people more freedom to explore the Web, but it also allows you to verify that they are using the internet responsibly. Let your teenagers know that you trust them, but that you will be periodically verifying that they are visiting appropriate sites online.
Even if you use content blockers, filters, and trackers, know that a lot of kids figure out ways to get around these, so it’s important to remain vigilant.
Remember that not all adult sites post an industry rating that can be identified by blocker, filter, or tracker software. That’s why it’s important to talk to your kids about what to do when something inappropriate or scary pops up.
Nothing can replace involvement and supervision by adults. Keep monitoring how your kids use the internet on a regular basis without getting into the role of internet traffic cop.
Your home computer or your child’s laptop, even though there are so many other options, will be a primary point of access to the internet. Fortunately, there are many options for controlling what your kids see on their computers. If you aren’t already using one, start today and talk to your kids about it.
I am an old school Mac Head. Been using Mac’s since before the internet. I tried to doing post and marketing on one of those new PC with windows vista. But it’s so frustrating I would rather just take a break till my G4 comes back. I appologize to all the readers, listeners and friends. I do still have my iPhone so you can check in with me through Twitter. 
