Kid Safety Online

The Internet is packed to the rafters with unsuitable material for kids - and most adults too, come to think of it! This all comes from the Internet's tendency to allow free speech without any sort of 'big-brother' regulation. So how do we protect the kids without being so strict that they learn to loathe using the PC?

According to recent findings by the Australian Bureau of Statistics the vast majority (95 per cent) of Australian children aged 5 to 14 use a computer and almost half had accessed the Internet in the past 12 months. In addition, 45% of households with home Internet access have children under 18 years of age.

Mega's Top 5 Safe Surfing Tips:

* put the PC in the busiest room of the house
* make it your mission to close the 'knowledge gap'!
* educate kids not to give out any personal details
* explain what to do if they become uncomfortable
* use parental controls, both built-in and bought software.

More Information on Kid Safety Online:

Netlingo - The Top 20 Internet Acronyms Every Parent needs to know
NetAlert - Australias Internet Safety Advisory Body
http://dmoz.org/Kids_and_Teens/Computers/Internet/Internet_Safety/
http://www.getnetwise.org/americalinksup/ - go to 'Good Stuff for Kids'
http://www.napcan.com.au - National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect
http://ninemsn.com.au/kids/help.asp

You'll also hear Mega regularly on various radio stations around Australia including 2UE, ABC QLD; Triple M.

Links to recently mentioned info on-air:

| You Tube

| Electronic Frontiers Australia

| e-business Guide to defamation from Australian Government Department of Communication, Information Technology and the Arts

| Australian High Tech Crime Centre

| Article by Lillian Edwards - Name Calling in Cyberspace

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