Internet Safety for Kids
The word internet is no longer a new word for us, through which we can communicate with friends around the globe fast and easy.
The schools also introduce us to internet.Sometimes we can finish tasks or projects that are assigned by our teachers by getting information from the internet.
Due to a lot of information on the internet, it has become a giant library. Before we find the information from the internet, we must know how to do it in an easy and quick way.
We also need to be alert in accessing the internet because internet not only consists of good information but also the information that threaten our life, and there are crimes over internet.
The crimes that are committed on the internet are known as cyber crimes.
Before we discuss more about the advantages and disadvantages of the internet, we need to know what the internet is.
- The Definition of Internet
Internet is a group of computers that are connected to each other through communication media, such as network cards, modems, telephone lines, TV cables, wireless technology, or satellite.
Internet can operate only if we subscribe to one of ISPs (Internet Service Providers).
Now days we even can access information from the internet without computer, but from our mobile phone, if it has facility of GPRS or EDGE or 3G.
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet
As we know before, on the internet there are a lot of advantage things, but we also must not forget the disadvantages or dangers of the internet. To get more description about it just pay attention to several information below:
1. Information. We know that through the internet we can get any information that we need, either as the result of research or pictures fast and easily. The information are about schools, lessons, books, files that we need to complete tasks or projects that are given by teachers, finding what projects are being done by others students or experts, and many more. Also we must remember that there is bad information in the internet, such as violations, racism, fascism, drug dealing, etc.
2. Forums, groups, e-mail, and chatting. Besides getting information, we are also able to communicate with friends around the globe through chatting or sending e-mail, join in types of groups which has something in common with us such as; same hobbies, favorite music or songs, etc. In this part we have to remember that we have to be careful in fulfilling registration forms for e-mail address or joining in a forum, group, or chatting. Because if we don’t there might be irresponsible people who would use our files for crimes such as, kidnapping, insult (either physically, emotionally, or mentally), violation, deception, and even infecting viruses through e-mail to destroy our computers.
Therefore, we have to pay attention on several things below :
a. Remember, people that we know from the internet usually don’t tell the truth about themselves.
b. Keep our personal data confidentially, such as our address, phone number, age or date of birth, school’s name or address, occupation of our parents when we fulfill the form to make an e-mail account or join in a group or forum, and even when we reply to a private chat from someone we don’t know in the internet.
c. Give good and polite responses to anyone at anytime, because we know that our friends in the other side of the internet also have the same sense as ours.
d. Be careful in giving responses about e-mail or private chat from someone we don’t know, including not to open an attachment files in order to avoid viruses. In other words, we don’t have to give response to every e-mail or private chat that we receive from someone in the internet.
e. Don’t talk about pornography.
3. Web-logs or Blogs. Web-logs or well known as blogs (or online diary or online journal) enable us to make the internet as a place to share our feelings, dreams, experiences, and so on. Blogs are useful to someone who doesn’t have enough friends to share or maybe has difficulties in sharing with others. Here we also have to be careful in writing in the blogs or posting an e-mail, because by writing about pornography or sharing provocative pictures can cause ourselves trouble in the future. Don’t ever write such blogs or post such an e-mail to some one that we think are friends because maybe someday he/she would misuse them.
4. Project collaboration. Through the internet we can do our projects together with our friends in the other side of the world and there’s no limitation in time and space. There’s been so many organizations that hold this project collaboration and even make a competition for instance, Oracle think.com, AEC-NET (Asian Europe Classroom Network). Here we can discuss everything with other students, practice English, and broaden our horizon on other cultures.
5. Games online.We can play games with or without our friends. Playing online games can cause addiction to people who play it. If we are addicted to play it we will forget to do our tasks and even worse we will be isolated because we do not have the time to play with our friends.
Tips on how to connect to the internet safely
How to prevent ourselves from negative things above:
1. Don’t give or share password to anyone else, even to our best friend.
2. Leave the sites that make you uncomfortable or impropriate, even if by accident. 3. Avoiding face-to-face meeting with someone that we’ve just known through the internet, unless we have companion of our parents or other adults.
4. Tell to the elder about our experiences when we’re browsing, searching, or chatting in the internet.
The Sites that are good to access
Sites that we had better access are the sites that help us in completing our tasks or projects, improve our creativity, and broaden our knowledge. Below are some of them :
1. Yahoo sites for children (http://kids.yahoo.com/). The site consists of games, music, movies, and materials to learn science, encyclopedia exploration, and so on.
2. Internet kid’s discussion the address is http://www.kidlink.org. KIDLINK is an international site for 10 to 15 years old children to communicate. This site provides more than 10 different languages such as, English, Spanish, and Japanese. The site allows the visitors to send e-mail to other children around the world or work together on a project.
3. Thinkquest site (http://www.thinkquest.org/), is a place for the world biggest internet competition for 9 to 19 year old students.
4. Enchanted Learning site (http://www.enchantedlearnig.com/home.html). The site consists of information and games that designed to improve the imagination to maximize creativity, learning, and entertain children.
5. www.studyweb.com site is a site that is not only good for school projects but also for daily homework. The site can make studying itself as a fun thing to do.
Reference :
1. Tips Untuk Remaja. ICTWatch. 2006. Available from. http://bebas.vlsm.org/v17/com/ictwatch/cyberwise/remaja.htm; cited 9 November 2007. 2.09 pm.
2. Beberapa Resiko di Internet. ICTWatch. 2006. Available from . http://bebas.vlsm.org/v17/com/ictwatch/cyberwise/resiko.htm; cited 9 November 2007. 2.09 pm.
3. Cyberspace,’ the ‘Web,’ the ‘Net,’ the ‘Information Highway’” . Tips and Tools. the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Edited 2007. Available from. http://safekids.com/child-safety-on-the-information-highway/; cited 9 November 2007. 2.07 pm.4. Teen Safety on the Information Highway. Teen Safety. Larry Magid. 2004. Available from. http://safeteens.com/safeteens.htm. cited 16 November 2007. 8.48 am.
5. Internet Safety. Safety Tips. FBI. 2006. Available from. http://www.fbi.gov/kids/k5th/safety2.htm; cited 9 November 2007. 2.34 pm.
6. Keeping Kids Safer on the Internet: Tips for Parents and Guardians. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. S006. Available from. http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/ResourceServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=2954; cited 9 November 2007. 2.38 pm.
Source : Computer Departement of Santa Laurensia