Making web use a shared experience

The better you know the web use habits of your child the better you can evaluate and tell him or her what, in your opinion, is acceptable and safe web use. Although your child may have mastered the technological side of things, an adult’s life experience will help him or her in understanding online content and situations. You should also use the internet together with your child.

Building trust step by step

The challenges of parenthood with regard to children’s hobbies on the web are largely similar to their other hobbies – the important things are the parent's interest and participation in the child's web use.

It is only natural for the child to want to keep internet use to him- or herself. If your child thinks your only motivation is to supervise and control him or her more, the child will not want to include you in his or her digital world. So try to avoid overreacting and unreasonable restrictions, and do not solely concentrate on the negative aspects of the web. Children learn by trying out things, exploring and making mistakes. Learning about these matters will make you appreciate the opportunities of the internet while getting to know how your child understands and uses the web. In this way, you can gain a level of trust that will continue when your child enters his or her teenage years.

Family rules for web use

A good way of managing and protecting children's web use is to make a common agreement on the rules of internet use. You should set rules for such matters as providing personal information and photographs, meeting online friends and establishing time limits for web use. These shared rules can be printed out and displayed in a prominent place next to the computer. It is advisable to specify these rules in accordance with your child’s age and level of independence.

Tips for shared web use

Discuss the internet. Show interest in your child’s web use and online friends in the same way as you do with respect to other areas of his or her life. Discuss the fun and useful aspects of the internet as well as the types of unpleasant things that can be encountered online. Remember to advise your child on how to behave in an uncomfortable situation. You can find tips regarding these things on the Information Security School website.

Place your computer in a communal family space. This will make discussing and supervising your child’s web use natural. Problematic situations will also be brought up in discussion more easily. Moreover, you can use the web together.

Learn to use the computer yourself. If you use the internet yourself, you can better evaluate what is good for your child while also being able to assist your child in finding useful things on the web.

Use the web together. Find suitable websites for your children and learn to use the internet for useful purposes − plan a holiday trip, check schedules or search for information regarding questions that interest your children. By surfing the internet together with your child, you can also instruct him or her in viewing information found on the web with a suitable level of scepticism.

Updated 05.02.2010