The Internet, is magnificent in its resources for families. Educational resources abound. Kids can easily find help for their homework blues without venturing to the library. Kids can chat with friends from far away for free; friends who, probably just a few years ago, they would never hear from again. And, of course, there's plenty of entertainment to satisfy the whole family once the chores and homework are complete.
However, the Internet can often be an inappropriate place for kids to surf unsupervised. Plenty of content is only appropriate for mature audiences. And, sadly, there are 'bad seeds', those who the children never should talk to.
Help keep your children away from these unsuitable materials. Many search engines and directories have filters and options that only return pages that have passed a particular profanity or "kid-safe" filter. These types of filters vary from web site to web site, but may do one of the following:
* Only allow you to search a selection of links picked by the site's editors to be "kid-safe" or free of profanity.
* Not show links containing profane words, these being words designated by a site to be profane. This list may not contain all possible profane words or combinations.
* Show links containing profane words but block out the profane words with asterisks, dollar signs, or other symbols. Again, the blocked-out words are those the site deems profane and might not include all such words.
Unfortunately, no filter can be 100% accurate.
Here are some search engines that have filters you can enable to try to weed out inappropriate content.
AltaVista http://www.altavista.com/
Above and to the right of the search query box you can find the link labeled "Family Filter". Turn on this filter to cause AltaVista to filter out inappropriate content. Be sure to read the linked-to FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) before using this filter. Again, no family filter is 100% accurate, but it's better than nothing.
Ask Jeeves For Kids http://www.ajkids.com/
You can provide kids with their very own search butler. Ask Jeeves for Kids is a special version of the popular Ask Jeeves web site geared towards the younger set. It is used the same way as the normal Ask Jeeves ? just ask a question and click the "Ask" button.
You will notice the site design is quite different from the main Ask Jeeves. The page is colorful and includes fonts more suited for kids. There are links to games, study tools, news resources, and message boards. Be sure to check out Jeeves' hat as you move your mouse over each resource :)
According to the "Parents" page, Ask Jeeves For Kids only searches for "G-Rated" information. However, they do warn that since web sites change, there is no guarantee that adult content cannot slip through the cracks. Still, they do a good job at trying to filter out information, so if you have children surfing the net, you may want to point them over to this popular resource.
Google http://www.google.com/
Visit the "Advanced Search" link and take a look at the "SafeSearch" section. Click the "Filter using SafeSearch" radio button to cause Google to only returns sites that match Google's "SafeSearch" filter. This filter attempts to remove material containing pornography or sexual content, but it is not and cannot be 100% accurate. Click the link "SafeSearch" on this page for more information about this filter.
You can also click the "Preferences" link from the front page to set preferences on how you want Google to search through documents. From here you can enable the "SafeSearch" setting by default. These preferences are placed in the form of a cookie stored on your browser, so if you disable cookies your preference choices will not stick. Be sure to press the "Save Preferences" button when you are done with your choices or they will not stick.
Lycos http://www.lycos.com/
Click on the "Parental Controls" link on the front page (located under the search bar), or turn on the "Adult Filter" from the advanced search page to enable the "Lycos SearchGuard". This feature attempts to filter out sites containing inappropriate or offensive material such as "adult, violent, hate and weapons-related content". Note that while no filter can be 100% effective this is a good start.
You may also want to visit the following family and kid-friendly Lycos sites:
Lycos Family Zone http://familyzone.lycos.com/
Lycos Zone (For Kids) http://lycoszone.lycos.com/
No matter which site you use, realize that no filter can be 100% accurate. All it takes is a little web browser knowledge to defeat cookie-based filters. Inappropriate sites can and sometimes will "slip through the cracks". Thus, I recommend that you always supervise your kids' Internet usage whenever possible. These filters, however, may make your supervision easier and your entire family's Internet experience more enjoyable without any surprises.
About The Author
This article was written by Andrew Malek, Internet Search Guru and author of Find Stuff On the Net, an e-book that can show even beginning computer users how to navigate the Internet without fear. Catch-up with your kids' knowledge when it comes to using the net. For further information and free snippets of the book, visit http://www.findstuffonthenet.com/
Many times, we are so conditioned in how we speak... Read More
As parents, we love our children and want to do... Read More
The brightly colored plastic mobile dangles lazily overhead in the... Read More
I never dreamed that I would be in a position... Read More
Vinegar or honey, what do kids really want? "Toys, candy,... Read More
For parents, keeping our kids safe is a constant top... Read More
When my oldest daughter was born, I walked the floor... Read More
A growing body of scientific evidence shows that the way... Read More
Here is a list of ways to convey the message... Read More
Reasearch into children's friendships shows that those children who are... Read More
Does this sound familiar? Have your kids not listened to... Read More
We are all aware of the child obesity epidemic that... Read More
Fall marks the beginning of many new things both for... Read More
Q. My teenage son is turning 16 early next year... Read More
Every children in the world whishes to have toys and... Read More
First there were Yuppies (Young Urban Professionals). Then came the... Read More
Self-reliance and potential are two very important values that I'd... Read More
Not all parents subscribe to the notion of "tough love,"... Read More
Being consistent when children are less than perfect can make... Read More
Dear friends here we will charge up our mind with... Read More
Over a number of years there have been issues raised... Read More
When you hear the phrase, 'guerrilla parenting techniques', what images... Read More
Isn't the technology of today is amazing?! Between the speed... Read More
Raising a pre-teen or teenage daughter (or son) is not... Read More
Vouchers, which give tax money to parents to pay for... Read More
One of my first memories of childhood is that of... Read More
Are you a professional?Notice how the questions differs from, "Do... Read More
We know that ancient cultures and Indians and the like... Read More
Public-school teaching is structured in such a way that it... Read More
When our oldest son was 2, my wife went out... Read More
Many working families choose a commercial or individual day care... Read More
So your little Susie wants to join a competitive gymnastic... Read More
A while ago I received this story from David in... Read More
"There is nothing new under the sun," states Ecclesiastes 1:9.... Read More
Most of our Founding Fathers, including Ben Franklin, Sam Adams,... Read More
It used to strike me as odd - but really,... Read More
Many of us have grown up drinking caffeinated diet sodas... Read More
Ask any teacher or adolescent counselor what the most disturbing... Read More
We all know that using cloth nappies is best for... Read More
An Awesome Dad in by no means perfect. But that... Read More
Anyone can splurge on a formal dinner or a pricey... Read More
Voices have a way of falling into a pattern, not... Read More
"Setting the alarm on Sunday mornings is inhuman?..God should know... Read More
More and more kids these days are diagnosed ADD, ADHD,... Read More
As a parent your biggest responsibility is to prepare your... Read More
Researched through personal experience!Budget Your Money. Even if you are... Read More
How bad is the illegal drug problem here in the... Read More
"Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing... Read More
Home schooling benefits children. As a parent, I feel it... Read More
Encouragement comes when you focus on your child's assets and... Read More
Reading is the most important skill that a child must... Read More
I had just completed a session with 17-year old Julie... Read More
Hints from Ruowen Wang? Keep a small basket filled with... Read More
As parents, we want our children and teens to grow... Read More
Many people consider plush toys great for children. They say... Read More
What's new and effective in the treatment of Attention problems?... Read More
Once, as a Learning Support Teacher, I made my way... Read More
One fantastic way to get your children involved in what... Read More
This past holiday season Canadians spent over $45 billion-with parents... Read More
10 Fun Things You Can Do With Your Children this... Read More
Since so many would rather avoid the use of stimulant... Read More
I love Google and Yahoo. With Google and Yahoo I... Read More
Q. With the school year just beginning, what can we... Read More
When you talk about multiply your child's intelligence, you can't... Read More
Here are fourteen spontaneous time-outs, specially designed to help you... Read More
The great thing about children is they absorb knowledge like... Read More
Parenting |