Technology - Is Internet out of harm's way?

Is Internet out of harm's way?

By Rio-John Hadzic

Throughout the years new technology has been made. Many of the new and latest products have been bought by millions of people all around the world. Nevertheless in some cases the use of the internet has been an issue to the buyers.

Internet, one of the most worldwide sources used around the world can be also the source of many dangers. Many people, especially kids are very vulnerable while on the internet. They can access many chat rooms, such as 321KidChat, Teen Say etc... and talk to people they have never known. In some of these cases it can result with crime (e.g. kidnapping. explicit material etc.)

The question is: Is there anything to prevent this from happening? The answer is: Yes, there are many ways in order to prevent this from happening. Things like encouraging kids from giving their personal information in chat room is a thing that helps prevent crime while surfing on the internet. (Source taken from the Daily Mail) These are one of the few pointers you can find on the internet.

Even though using the computers might be fun, it is advised to take precautions when you're on the internet and what you’re accessing. Safety is a number 1 priority and you should be aware of what can happen to you at any moment. Here are a few pointers on how to keep your and your family safe:

Going to a chat room is alright but make sure you go to a minimum for you might encounter people you have never known. MSN Messenger or Windows Live Messenger is a good program to use for you can people you know to it and talk to them no matter where they are.
Never give out your personal information.
Be careful when shopping online for you might get money theft
Be aware of people in chat rooms. They could be lying about themselves.


Kid’s Safety

As said earlier kids are very vulnerable when on the internet. They can be exposed to all sorts of dangerous things on the internet. In order to keep kids safe while surfing on the internet, parents can get a list from the Daily Mail website with Do’s and Don’ts on how to keep kids safe and protected from dangerous sites. A few points to keep kids safe:

· Make sure that the computer is in the living room where everyone is so that the parents can see what their child is doing.
· Try and discourage you child from giving out their personal information.
· Discourage them from doing face to face conversations with people they have met on the internet.
· Try and filter some sites and things on the computer so the child can not access things that can be harmful and unsuitable in any way.
· You should teach your children to never open e-mails or attachments for they might contain a virus and it can harm your computer and its performance.
· If a child encounters something that they find uncomfortable or something that they find worrying, you should support them by helping them and next time they come across something like that in the near future, they should feel comfortable and talk to you.

These points can help your child access the internet safer and this can lessen the worry of parents.