Your Child and the Internet

Is Your Child Online?

AT ANY given moment, millions of youths are online, whether at home, at school, at a friend’s house, or—if they have Internet access on a handheld device or cell phone—almost anywhere. If you are a parent, you are faced with a sobering reality: Your children are probably more comfortable in this new cyberworld than you are, and they may even know how to keep you in the dark about their online activities.

Is this cause for concern? Absolutely. Is the situation hopeless? By no means. True, it may seem that when it comes to the Internet, your child is the native and you are the tourist. Still, you can learn the lay of the land. And you do not have to become an expert at all things electronic in order to keep your child safe.

This series of articles will provide you with some helpful tools. First, though, let us take a look at some of the dangers your child may encounter online.