Children are growing up in a world where the Internet is now part of their everyday life. Social networks, online games, chat rooms, emails, blogs and new communication tools connect people and spread information faster than ever. As parent, you face the challenge of allowing your kids to access this knowledge while the responsability to shield them from harmful aspects of being online and exposed, remains an urgent necessity. Below is some advice for parent to make sure that the Internet is no longer synonymous with danger for your children.

Placing the computer in a shared room is the easiest way to surf as a family, keeping an eye on what your kids do online and with whom they communicate online. Children with Internet access in their bedrooms are more likely to use chat rooms and Internet forums inappropriately.

Explain to your children that their security is at risk online and that these rules are being put in place in order to protect them. Make sure your children are aware that the information provided on the Internet is not always true. Get interested in what your children do on the Internet by asking about their favorite websites, for example.

Although Xooloo™ parental control protects your children from inappropriate material and threats on the Internet, we highly recommend parent to accompany their children in their discovery of this virtual world. By educating children to the Internet dangers and by taking appropriate measures to protect them, they can benefit from the wealth of this information highway.

Set limits and discuss them with your children:
1. Set time limits.
2. Insist that your children use a nickname and never share personal information such as their real name, address, phone number, passwords or credit card numbers.
3. Encourage your children to talk to you when in doubt about an Internet user's behaviour or about a website content.
4. Tell your children not to accept any meeting request, e-mails, videos or images from an unknown or suspicious Internet user.
5. Never participate in chat rooms without an adult beside your children.

Vocabulary

Internet: A global network that connects computers via phone lines and/or fiber networks to storehouses of electronic information. With only a computer, a modem, a phone line and a service provider, people from all over the world can communicate and share information with little more than a few keystokes.

Blog (Web Log): Web site designed by an individual who writes entries periodically, often in the form of a private diary, very fashionable with teenagers.

Public Chat rooms: Real-time text conversation between users in a chat room with no expectation of privacy. All chat conversations are accessible by all individuals in the chat room while the conversation is taking place. E.g: AIM, MSN Messenger...

Instant messaging (MSN and the like): Tool used to talk instantly with another Internet user registered as a contact in your instant messaging service.

Pseudo or Nickname or Avatar: Name used by an Internet user making it possible to hide his or her real identity when taking part in discussions on the web.

Social networks: Social network websites focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people. E.g: Facebook, Twitter, Myspace...