Mentors in the Community

Article
10/29/2013

At Microsoft Services, we are not just about work. We take great pride in our efforts to reach out and help the general community. In this post, two of our PFEs – Mike Rosado and Randolph Reyes – give you some vital tips to safeguard your kids when they are online! At the end of this post they also share contact information for schools interested to learn further.

The Internet, a powerful resource

The Internet is a powerful resource for our youth, because it’s a tool that enhances our children’s education when used properly. But it also presents opportunities for those who would attempt to do them harm.

According to the FBI, in recent studies show that one in seven youngsters has experienced unwanted sexual solicitations online. One in three has been exposed to unwanted sexual material online. One in 11 has been harassed or bullied online.

And as we all know, these are only some of the dangers that our kids face while surfing the Internet. How can we simultaneously protect them from these threats and enable them to take advantage of the positive things the web has to offer? This is why we are here, to help educate parents and children about the Internet.

What unique risks are associated with children?

When a child is using your computer, normal safeguards and security practices may not be sufficient. Children present additional challenges because of their natural characteristics: innocence, curiosity, desire for independence, and fear of punishment. You need to consider these characteristics when determining how to protect your data and your child.

You may think since your child is only playing a game, researching a term paper, typing their homework assignment, that he or she can't cause any harm. But what if, when saving their paper, the child deletes a necessary program file? Or what if they unintentionally visit a malicious web site that infects your computer with a virus? These are just two possible scenarios. Mistakes can happen, but the child may not realize what they’ve done or may not tell you what happened because they’re afraid of getting punished.

Online predators present another significant threat, particularly to children. Since the nature of the Internet is so anonymous, it is easy for people to misrepresent themselves and manipulate or trick other users. Adults often fall victim to these ploys, and so do children, who are usually much more open, trusting and even easier targets. Another growing problem is cyber-bullying. These threats are even greater if a child has access to email, instant messaging programs, visits chat rooms, and/or uses social networking sites.

What can you do?

Be involved
Keep your computer in an open area
Set rules and warn them about dangers
Monitor computer activity
Keep lines of communication open

You can do just about anything on the Internet these days: watch movies, order clothes, meet new friends, share photos—anything! So can your kids, if they use of a computer with Internet access. Some parents feel that this freedom goes a bit too far. Just as they wouldn't let the kids wander Times Square unescorted, parents would like to control just where kids can go on the Web. What can parental-control software do to keep kids away from these shady sites?

Parental Control System in Internet Explorer

Microsoft Internet Explorer can be used to enforce parental control rating systems. Here are some of the capabilities of the parental control system:

Permits access only to materials specifically approved as safe for kids by blocking inappropriate content
Allows you to specify what types of materials are appropriate for your child
Help monitor your child's activity on the Internet by storing names of sites and/or snapshots of the material seen by your child on the computer for you to view later
Allows you to set different restrictions for each family member
Limits results of an Internet search to content appropriate for kids
Enforces time limits set by parents
Allows access only to monitored chat rooms or blocks access to all chat rooms

To learn how you can enable this, follow the links for Windows 7 and Windows 8 as appropriate.