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I love the internet. There I said it. There is no doubting the internet has opened up a whole new world to an enormous number of people (including my Nan), made communicating with friends and strangers far easier and simplifying the exchange of information. When Virgin Media asked us to look at how our family uses the internet, we had to agree that there is no denying the advantages of easy internet access, there are also a number of associated dangers, particularly for increasingly computer literate young children, especially my two daughters.

My eldest daughter loves to Face time her friends and the speed that my youngest daughter can swipe through the icons on the screen is alarming but it is important not to become too worried about the dangers of the internet, although safety should never be overlooked. With this in mind, we decided to take a look at the different ways in which you can help make sure your child remains safe while making full use of the internet. 

The first and probably most important safety measure to take with children is to talk about the internet with them and set boundaries of use. Though this may difficult with very young children but it is important that you begin to have conversations with your child about internet usage and what they should, and shouldn’t, be doing.

It is also important to remember that children will often take a lead from their parents, so make sure you don’t break your own rules in front of them or that there’s unsuitable material on the system.

While such preventative measures are important, it is also a good idea to have practical, software-based safeguards in use as well. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) including Virgin Media will utilise features that allow parents to block certain pages or types of content and it’s important that you make the most of these. Blocking pages should prevent your children from viewing any dangerous or inappropriate websites. 

It is worth reading up on what you can control as a parent and a good resource for Virgin Media’s services, including their parental control facilities, you can go straight to their website.

Sometimes, children can be at risk from anonymous users elsewhere in the world. Children should understand that they are never to give out personal information online or contact or reply to strangers. This is a worry for me with my nieces, godchildren and as they get older, my own daughters too and they are constantly reminded not to talk to strangers on or offline!

With Facebook, Twitter apps and instant messaging available on our phones and on the move, it can be difficult to keep an eye on what is going on but talking to your children and being “in the know” can keep you one step ahead in protecting your children electronically, emotionally and practically.

Photo courtesy of Clairee Bloomfield through http://www.freedigitalphotos.net Disclaimer: We have received compensation for this post, however we never knowingly provide any recommendations or links that we haven't used personally and would naturally recommend.