Internet Safety Tip: The ABCs of Internet Safety

The Internet is a true marvel of modern technology. It offers anyone with a computer and an Internet connection access to a world of information and entertainment. Unfortunately, it also offers unlimited access to pornography.

Parents and community leaders need to be aware of the dangers of the Internet and use appropriate precautions to ensure the safety of their children, families, and communities. The following "ABCs" of Inter safety is a quick way to remember some of the most basic-but-important steps to protecting our families from the harm caused by Internet pornography:

• A is for Adults Only!
   
• B is for Be Aware
   
• C is for Check Often
   

A is for Adults Only!

According to recent studies, there is an estimated 4.2 million pornographic websites on the Internet today that distribute well over half a billion pornographic images and videos—more than any individual could possibly view in ten lifetimes. What's worse, a majority of this pornography is freely and easily available to anyone wandering the Internet, including your children!

The truth is that, with the exception of child-pornography laws, there are no laws or legal consequences that prevent a pornographic website from making its content accessible to children. In fact, the absence of any laws or legal consequences on the Internet has created an environment where some of the darkest, most violent, and most disturbing pornography imaginable exists, and your children are looking at it.

The Internet is not family-friendly place. It simply is not. The Internet is for ADULTS ONLY!

Treat the Internet with the same caution and care you would any "adult" or dangerous item in your home. Gaining a respect for just how dangerous the Internet can be is one of the most important steps you can take to keep your family safe.

B is for Be Aware

As our world becomes increasingly "wired", you need to be more aware of where the Internet is accessible in your home and community; you also need to learn about which devices can be used to access the Internet and exchange digital information.

Being aware may mean that it is time for you to take a class from a local church, community college, or online source. In order to appreciate the size and nature of the problem—and the potential solution—you need to understand the technology. If not, you are only inviting disaster.

For example, although you may choose to not own a computer and to not have an Internet connection you home, did you know that a child can use a Sony PSP to access a neighbor's wireless Internet connection and surf pornographic websites from his bedroom?

Get smart and get safe—be aware.

C is for Check Often

You may have installed an Internet filter in your home, and that may make you feel safe. But you may be surprised to learn that a filter, along with many other safety technologies, can be easily bypassed or deactivated. If someone in your home has a problem with pornography, a filter will not stop him or her from accessing pornographic content.

In fact, a filter can make a bad situation worse. Why? Because parents who have deployed a filter often believe that their family is safe, not realizing that someone in their home can be surfing pornography right under their noses.

What you really need to do is check your computer and check it often. A new generation of Internet-safety applications is coming. For example, SurfRecon is a new pornography-detection tool that allows parents to quickly scan a computer to see if any pornographic content exists.

Nothing will replace good parental supervision of computers and Internet access. Regularly checking your computers with a product like SurfRecon can not only allow you to keep a close eye on what everyone is doing, but also serves as a deterrent to inappropriate behavior.

As long as the Internet remains a lawless and unregulated place, the burden of protecting our children falls squarely on the shoulders of parents. Deploy a filter to avoid accidental exposure to pornographic content—but know its limitation. And get a copy of SurfRecon as soon as you can so that you can start scanning your home computer systems regularly.

The best you can hope for is that you will find nothing; however, should you discover that someone has a problem with pornography, the sooner you start to deal with the problem, the better off you and your family will be.

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