The internet has opened up a new world full of opportunities for individuals to learn, enhance their knowledge and generally better themselves. Although it appears to be so constructive, there are many dangers one may get exposed to while on the net. The cyberspace that gives allows youngsters to explore various themes and subjects, needs to be demarcated through cyber parenting.

The risks in the internet world are widespread. Right from reading or viewing content that contains sexual, rancorous and violent content, netizens also indulge in some dangerous or illegal activities like hacking, forming hate groups etc. Cyber bullying is definitely a matter of concern. A child may be tormented, threatened or harassed by someone via the internet, other interactive and digital techniques or mobile phones. Cyber stalking is another such issue, especially for parents with a girl child. This is a form of mental assault that may include threatening people, monitoring their activities or forcing minors into sexual activities.

Before going forward to the solutions let’s have a look at the statistics of internet use by teenagers from recent surveys conducted by international software giants such as McAfee and Norton.

According to the Mc Afee Online Family Report June 2010:

• 14 per cent of 13-17 year olds admit to having engaged in some form of cyber bullying behaviour in 2010

• 38 per cent of teens close or minimise the browser when their parents enter the room

• 55 per cent of teens hide what they do online from parents

• 46 per cent of teens admit to downloading pirated music or videos

• 16 per cent of 16-17-year-old boys have downloaded adult content

The Norton Online Family Report June 2010 says:

• 77 per cent of teens have suffered negative online experiences, only 50 per cent of Indian parents are actually aware of this

• 24 per cent of parents think someone anonymous had tried to add their child as a friend on social networking sites, 55 per cent of the children said this had actually happened

• 29 per cent of parents thought their child had downloaded a virus, 40 per cent children reported this

The question that arises at this point is how do parents find out whether their child has been exposed to inappropriate materials.

The first symptom is screen switching. We often find the teens closing or minimising the browser window when somebody approaches. In fact, it is a practice adopted by almost 38 per cent of teens. Accessing the internet at odd hours of the night, withdrawal from normal day-to-day activities, attending phone calls that leave them despondent, alienation from the family, installing unwanted applications on the PC (like dialer, keygen etc.) are some of the indications that the child needs cyber parenting.

The solution

To keep an eye on children, parents may add them as friends on the various social networking sites the children use. It is mandatory to keep a check on the browser history as well as the software that have been installed.

Technically, there are many options to get away with these issues. One must make sure that a really smart and good antivirus, antispyware firewall is installed in the computer. There are also various parental control software and low privilege user accounts provided by McAfee Internet security, Net Nanee, Cyper Patrol, etc. to tackle this problem. Some of these allow the child to use the internet for a scheduled time period and also blocks adult and abusive sites. The parent can also pick only certain applications for the child to use through the parental control software. Even the latest version of Windows like Vista, Windows 7 have inbuilt settings that can be set up by the parents to restrict adolescents from misusing the applications or internet.

Apart from going for such highly technical solutions, parents must also ensure that they are involved in their child’s life. The child should always be in an amicable atmosphere where he/she can talk to his/her parents. On the other hand, parents should accompany the children, share their views with their children and be friends with them in the offline world as well.

Staying online late at night and over-usage of the internet should be restricted at home. They should be taught about the type of content that is appropriate to share. The decorum and discipline parents teach their children about in real life should also be emphasised in the online world. Children must understand that the rules about strangers in the real world apply to the internet world as well.

It is necessary to instil a healthy fear among the youngsters. It is also advisable to shift the PC to such a place in the home from where it is clearly visible, rather than placing it in the child’s bedroom. Apart from these restrictions, parents must encourage other interests like sports or extra curricular activities. The restrictions notwithstanding, the child must be allowed to explore the interesting and useful aspects of the internet with proper parental guidance.

(The author is a software entrepreneur and ethical hacker)