Unsupervised access to the internet is too dangerous no matter how much we trust our own children. There are just too many predators out there who are extremely good at what they do. And, its not just the adults we have to be leery of; peer bullying can be equally hazardous.

Being online is second nature to our children and there are a lot of good things to be said about that. In fact, there are even good things to say about the social networking and video sites like myspace and You Tube. Check them out for yourself if haven’t already done so.

What to do? You’ll want to start by learning the difference between blocking, monitoring, and logging software. Keep it mind that these parental controls can be a good start, but they’re not necessarily the answer as teens (especially) always want to do what they’ve been told not to. Additionally, monitoring software can also restrict websites that are helpful for homework.

Instead, even if you are just as internet-savvy as your kids are in general, try learning all you can about MySpace, FaceBook and what ever the next “hot” social networking site will be. In fact, building your own page on myspace and sharing the experience with your kids is a great tool for teaching them how to use common sense and surf safely. (Here’s an interesting piece of trivia that will make you look good with your children: Did you know that myspace was launched as a vehicle for new and emerging music artists to get their work heard?)

Please don’t let your child become a statistic. Check out our eBook, “Don’t Take Candy From Strangers” or catch up on our informative series of radio programs at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/OnlineSecurityAuthority.

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