Child Online Safety Information
Throughout modern history parents have always been concerned for the safety of their children, with each succeeding generation facing new challenges in maintaining a safe environment for kids growing up in an increasingly chaotic and dangerous world. Prior to the advent of the Internet as we know it — and later the widespread use of personal electronic devices — mothers and fathers’ most frequent concerns centered on their child’s physical safety.
Times have changed significantly since our grandparents were young adults raising their own families in a much more parochial world where print media and a handful of television and radio stations provided much of life’s daily information. These days, many parents become overwhelmed as they try to shield their children from the emotional and psychological distress caused by information overload and a near-constant flow of distracting, disruptive and even potentially harmful content, many of which can often have a serious impact on the emotional health of vulnerable youngsters.
This Child Internet Safety Center has been created to help address some of the concerns parents and other caregivers may have regarding their children’s use of, and protection from, the Internet’s seen and unseen dangers. Staying informed and keeping up to date about trends online can improve a parents’ ability to protect their kids from potentially dangerous situations and inappropriate content. Taking a proactive role and using tools such as parental controls, content filters and privacy settings can go a long way toward helping reduce the chances of a child being exposed to questionable online content and potentially dangerous interactions.