Parents are not setting up online controls on computer presents
CHILDREN are more tech savvy than ever with youngsters receiving top-notch gadgets for Christmas and Birthdays.
But while a 36 per cent of parents said they were giving their children a new desk top or laptop for Christmas 2011, a 48 per cent admitted they had not thought too much about online safety.
A survey of UK parents by Virgin Media, found that 26 per cent did not know how to set up parental controls.
A 30 per cent said they would actively supervise their children instead of using controls and 23 per cent admitted they would just trust their child to get on with it.
Despite all the safety advice going, 28 per cent of parents said their child would be using the computer or laptop away from supervision such as in their bedroom.
Executive director of broadband at Virgin Media, Jon James said: “The internet is a great place for learning and education but, just as there are fantastic resources for kids to enjoy, there are also some places on the web parents would rather their kids weren’t exposed to.”
As a guide to help parents keep their children safe when they use the internet, Virgin Media offers the following advice:
1. Check with your ISP whether they offer any type of parental controls as part of your service. Virgin Media offers this service to its customers for free for the lifetime of their broadband service.
2. Consider how your child uses the internet and where you can introduce some restrictions. Many parents don’t realise that most parental control services are highly flexible so you can limit access to certain categories of sites whilst still giving children the freedom to enjoy safe sites.
3. Help children to understand they should never share personal details with people online that they don’t know offline.
4. Educate your child that the internet is not a private space and that anyone could see something they share online.
5. Advise your child not to open files or videos they receive from a stranger as these could contain a virus, or inappropriate visuals or videos.
6. Make sure your child understands what information is personal so they know not to share telephone numbers, addresses, the name of their school, siblings or sports clubs.
7. Consider becoming ‘friends’ with your child on Facebook and other social networks so you can passively monitor the people they are becoming friends with.
8. Make sure your child knows that they can talk to you about anything they see or receive online. Look out for ISPs that are part of the government backed Code of Practice announced in October as they are committed to ensuring that parents are better informed and educated about the options available to empower them to control access to online content.
For further information on Virgin Media Security, visit www.virginmedia.com/security. Customers can also download a free PC Healthcheck utility and find out more about Virgin Media Digital Home Support at www.virginmedia.com/dhs. For general advice on staying safe online, visit www.getsafeonline.org.