Protecting Your Children on the Internet

The Internet and technologies that enable online interaction and access to a variety of content can be a perilous place for minors between 8 and 18. Parents and teachers are often ill-equipped to deal with the variety of devices and applications such as email, instant messaging, browsing, blogs, cell phones, and personal digital assistant devices (PDAs) that can facilitate the dangers lurking online. This book shares the risks of the Internet by detailing recent, real-world tragedies and revealing some of the secrets of online activities. It provides a pragmatic approach to help parents and teachers protect children against the threats of going online. Protecting Your Children on the Internet provides a roadmap to enable parents and teachers to become more engaged in children's online activities, arming them with techniques and tips to help protect their children. Recommendations come by technology topic (search engines, social networking, cell phones, etc.) and by age category (elementary, middle, high school) to align with how parents and educators think when they're dealing with multiple children that span different risk profiles. Smith underscores his arguments through chilling, real-life stories, revealing approaches people use to deceive and conceal their activities online. Filled with practical advice and recommendations, this book is indispensable to anyone who uses the Internet and related technologies, especially to those charged with keeping children safe.