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Book Reaserch infomation
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B3-U1-Research Project
Research http://www.youngmedia.org.au/mediachildren/06_10_internet_benefits.htm |
| The internet: benefits, dangers and strategies |
| Most children at some stage will use the internet. Many parents can feel they are being left behind or are out of their depth compared to their children in grappling with the internet. As with other areas of children's lives, parents have a responsibility to provide guidance and to set clear limits. This topic is aimed to assist parents in this task. |
| What is the internet? |
| The internet is a massive network of computers from around the world all connected by cable and satellite. When users are connected to the internet, they can receive text, images, video and sound on their computer from computers anywhere in the world. Just as there is a book or magazine on nearly every subject in local libraries, bookshops or newsagents, so is there information on virtually every subject on the internet. The internet is sometimes called the world wide web (www) or just 'the net'. |
| Benefits of the internet |
The internet can provide children and adults alike with a world of exciting opportunities. It offers:
· educational games and programs
· research information for school projects and business
· the opportunity to communicate with people from all around the world
· the opportunity to share resources and ideas with people that have the same interests
· shopping around the world without leaving your computer.
· The internet uses multimedia and interactivity extensively. Using multimedia means that you can access not only written words, but also pictures, music and sound effects. Interactivity means that the user can choose what they want to see just by the click of a mouse. The computer 'asks' users questions which they can then answer. |
| On-line dangers for children |
There are no regulations or controls on the material that is placed on the internet.
While there are over 3 million perfectly safe children's sites on the net, children can unexpectedly come across material of a sexual or violent nature, language that is rude and the advertising of children's products. Quite innocently they can bring up sites that do not relate to the topic they are looking for, or someone can send them images or messages that are not appropriate.
Therefore there are many things on-line that are not suitable for children or that are cause for concern. The main dangers to children are that they may:
· access inappropriate information
· inadvertently form 'friendships' with strangers
· become victims of cyberbullying
· be subjected to advertising pressures
· risk their personal health through excessive use
· endanger their privacy by revealing person details about themselves, such as their name and address.
Access inappropriate information
The search engines on the internet provide access to many sites on a given topic. Even when children are searching for ordinary everyday topics, it is possible that they might come across sites with information and/or images that could be harmful to them.
Sexually explicit material
· this could include graphic pictures and videos intended for adults
· exposure to graphic pornography can cause emotional distress to children
· if you become aware of any child pornography on-line, note any relevant details and report the matter to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). For more details see the section below - "Lodge complaints".
Violent and disturbing images
· this could include such things as crash scenes and even mortuary sites
· research has shown that violence in any form of screen media, that is, films, videos, television, computer games and the internet, can have a negative effect on children, particularly young children
· for more information about the impact of media violence, see related topics on the Young Media Australia website [http://www.youngmedia.org.au] or call the Young Media Australia Helpline on 1800 700 357.
Making purchases or gambling online
· children can easily come across sites which encourage them to purchase goods on-line
· on-line gambling. A credit card number is all it takes for someone to 'play'.
· using 1900 numbers. Children can inadvertently accumulate very large telephone bills in a short space of time by accessing Internet Dialer numbers that transfer them to an overseas phone line.
Incorrect and inaccurate information
· children may believe that everything they see on the internet is factual
· in fact, any person can put any information they like up on the internet and there is no guarantee that the information is accurate.
Inadvertently form 'friendships' with strangers
It is possible that children will come into contact with people who are pretending to be children but have other motives. There is a real danger that children may:
· come into contact with paedophiles
· provide personal details to strangers
· arrange to meet friends they have made on the internet without really knowing who they are
· be harassed by email.
Become victims of cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is the use of online or mobile technology to harass or intimidate another person. Teasing, false rumours, fase messages and threats can be spread by email, in chatrooms, blogs, forums and mobile phone messages. Bullying can be done by groups or individuals who are able to remain anonymous.
Be subjected to advertising pressures
Once on the internet, children are likely to be subjected to unsolicited advertising. This could take the form of pop-up advertisements or ads embedded into particular websites. Such advertising often has bright colourful images and catchy phrases designed to put pressure on children to purchase goods on-line. A term for unsolicited advertising on the internet, the equivalent of junk mail in your letter box, is 'spam'.
Risk their personal health through excessive use
The internet can become addictive. It is important that children do not use the internet to the exclusion of other developmentally appropriate tasks including, the need to be physically active.
Endanger their privacy
Some sites encourage children to join clubs and enter competitions. In so doing, they reveal their name and address and may become the target of unwelcome marketing and other material. |
| What parents can do |
There are several things that you can do to help counteract the dangers of the internet while allowing your children to use its benefits:
learn more about it yourself
· be aware of what your children are doing on the internet
· establish guidelines about safe internet use
· teach your children to be critical users of the internet
· put in place reasonable boundaries
· use blocking software or filters
· if necessary, lodge complaints.
Learn more about it yourself
The more you know about the internet, the more support you will be able to provide your children. Many local libraries, schools and other community groups offer free courses or courses at reasonable prices. Don't forget, your children may be the best teaching resource you have — sit with them and ask them to help you understand. You don't have to become an expert, but some degree of comfort with the technology will help.
Be aware of what your children are doing on the internet
You can do this in a number of ways, including sitting with them while they are using the internet and chatting with them about what they are doing. You can also keep track of what is going on by:
· checking Bookmarks or Favorites (accessible via the icons on the menu bar) for sites your children like to visit often
· checking recently visited sites (using Options, Preference or History)
· email monitoring software is also available. KidSafe is an example of email monitoring software. It allows parents to filter email for their children to block out spam, viruses and offensive email. For more information go to the KidSafe website: http://www.kidsafe.net.au/
Establish guidelines about safe internet use
There are several practical steps you can take to safeguard what happens in your home in respect of the internet:
· keep the computer that is connected to the internet in a family area, not behind closed doors
· only allow your children to use chat groups or news-groups or send email messages with your permission and under your supervision
· talk to your children's school about their on-line policy; you may be able to put their safeguards into practice at home
· select a reliable service provider and discuss children's on-line safety with them.
Teach children to be critical users of the internet
One of the best ways of protecting your children is to teach them to be critical users of the internet. Teach your children:
· never to give others their name, the names of their friends, or fill in questionnaires with their personal details
· ever to send images of themselves over the net as they may be used for other purposes
· about 'stranger danger' as it applies to the internet. If a child or young adult wishes to meet new on-line 'friends' in person, make sure you supervise the meeting.
· never to respond to messages or bulletin board items that are suggestive, obscene, or threatening. Encourage your children to report such experiences to you. If they do, discuss these matters calmly with your child and forward a copy of any such messages to your service provider, asking for assistance.
· to only use monitored chat lines designed for their own age group
· to always be themselves when on-line
· to be critical in respect of 'information' found on the internet. Information on the internet comes from many sources and not all is reliable.
Use blocking software or filters
Blocking software or filters are the names used for programs that you can install and use on your computer to control the information that is accessed by children whilst on the internet. Blocking software:
· can block or minimise the risks of harmful violent material, sexually explicit material and chat lines being displayed on your computer
· is inexpensive and available from most computer suppliers or straight from the provider's sites
For more information about blocking software, see the related web topic and Fact Sheet Internet filtering software—what it is and how to use it on the Young Media Australia website [www.youngmedia.org.au]. Free filters are available from the NetAlert website.
Whilst blocking software is an excellent idea for some age groups it is not foolproof and some computer aware children can still get around these programs. Blocking software goes hand in hand with parental supervision and is no substitute for it.
Put in place reasonable boundaries
Discuss with your children what you consider to be reasonable boundaries on use of the internet. Depending on the age of your child, negotiate these boundaries with them. For example:
Set a daily or weekly time limit. The amount of time you decide upon will depend on the age and developmental stage of your child. Remember that the internet can be addictive and that you may need to encourage your child to keep a balance with other activities, including being physically active.
Only allow internet access in public spaces so that you can keep an eye on what they are accessing and discuss it with them if necessary
Make it clear to them what materials are unacceptable.
Make rules about on-line shopping, downloading material, responding to unsolicited advertisements and so on.
Lodge complaints
If you think you or your child have come across something illegal on the internet, you can lodge a complaint with the Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA)
ACMA has the oversight of internet content matters, and will investigate complaints referred to it in relation to specific web sites. For information about how to complain to ACMA, call (02) 9334 7700, or visit their website. http://www.acma.gov.au/
Following the links on this page you can submit a complaint, either:
online, or
by completing ACMA's Complaint about website content form and submitting it
by email, or
in your own words to online@acma.gov.au, or
in writing either by completing ACMA's Complaint about website content form and printing it, or writing a letter in your own words
Letters or completed forms can be posted to:
The Content Assessment Hotline Manager
ACMA, PO Box Q500, Queen Victoria Building, NSW 1230
or faxed to (02) 9334 7799
ACMA will investigate, and if it is found that the material is illegal, and the site is hosted in Australia, ACMA can issue a 'take down' notice to the relevant Internet Service Provider, requiring them to remove the website. If the site is hosted overseas, and is prohibited, or is likely to be prohibited, ACMA will notify the suppliers of approved filters to take action in accordance with the Internet Industry Association (IIA) [http://www.iia.net.au/] Code of Practice. |
| Research http://www.youngmedia.org.au/mediachildren/06_03_filters_net.htm |
| Internet filtering software-what it is and how to use it |
| The Internet is a most valuable communication system for obtaining information, sending mail, and chatting with others with similar interests. However, there are risks with using the Internet. Some parents may wish to consider Internet filtering software as a method of reducing the risks of their children being exposed to undesirable material on the Internet. |
| Use and limitations of Internet filtering software |
| There are a number of Internet filtering tools that parents can use. However, such tools are not infallible, and must be supplemented by parental vigilance. This is most easily achieved when children use a web-connected computer in the family room, and not in their private space. The three most commonly used varieties of Internet filtering software are filters, labels and safe zones. |
| Filters |
What are filters
· software programs that can be put on your own computer, or can be made available through your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
What do they do
· block access to web sites, based either on a list of banned sites, or on keywords or phrases.
· can stop search engines from searching for unsuitable topics
· may block access to newsgroups, chatrooms and email
· some can be set to control how much time your child spends on-line
· some offer the ability to shut down if certain sites are accessed.
How do they work
Some methods used by filtering software are:
· a "black list"-keeps a list of blocked sites and allows access to all other sites
· a "white list"-keeps a list of sites that it is OK to view
· category blocking-groups sites into categories, and allows access or blocks according to the category (pornography, violence etc)
· graphics filters-block images, often relate to skin tones
· application blocking-allows or prevents access to specific applications such as chat rooms etc
· word and phrase blocking-prevents specific words or phrases being viewed |
| Labels |
| These tools attach labels to Internet sites. Your browser can be set to read the labels and block access to certain web sites. However, most web sites are unlabelled. |
| Safe zones |
| These are secure networks suitable for younger children, and are separate from the rest of the Internet. Some filter tools have the option of a safe zone, which limits users to a list of 'good sites'. These are called 'white list' filters. |
| Tips for parents in choosing filters |
The NetAlert site has a comparison table to help parents choose the most appropriate filter for their child. Parents may consider the following guidelines:
· for preschool children, consider using safe zones and other good sites that you select
· for children under 7 years, use a filtering tool that blocks access to newsgroups and chat rooms
· for older children, consider tools that filter access to chat rooms, and prevent them giving out personal information
· new Internet users should consider choosing easy to install tools that provide automatic free updates on lists of blocked sites
· examine what sort of material the tool covers and the options allowed for you to adjust what is blocked
· consider how often lists of blocked sites are updated and whether updates are free and automatic |
| Where to get filtering software |
Your Internet Service Provider is obliged to make some filtering software available to you as part of the Internet Industry Code of Practice
Free internet content filters are available from the Australian government NetAlert website
A range of filters are also listed on the Choice web site |
| Research http://knowit.co.nz/2009/07/my-doubts-about-internet-filters |
| My doubts about Internet Filters |
| Should NZ impose filters on the Internet to block unwanted material? |
Should NZ impose filters on the Internet to block unwanted material?
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) and ECPAT want to filter our Internet so as to block websites that depict the sexual abuse of children (often called 'child porn'):
A filtering system to block websites that host child sexual abuse images will be available voluntarily to New Zealand internet service providers (ISPs) within a couple of months, Internal Affairs Deputy Secretary, Keith Manch, said [on 16 July 2009].
As I mentioned in a long blog post yesterday, I'm not sure what I think of this proposal. While I don't in any way condone such websites I'm not sure that this kind of censorship is appropriate or effective.
What I do question is why and how, given that in New Zealand public opinion is so totally against the sexual abuse of children, there are so many men who seem to think it's OK.
It's not like this child sexual abuse is some kind of grey area. It's not some 'legal' nitpicking involving 16 year olds and 15 year olds. It's not as though all parties involved in the activity are adults, with supposedly the power to choose for themselves what they're doing.
Apparently these sites depict adults using children who may just be babies. In a society that totally condemns such activity, how can men possibly think it's OK to visit such sites, download images, and I suppose, movies?
So long as they think it's an OK thing to do, I suspect we won't be able to stop them. The authorities censor printed materials and films, but I'd bet books, magazines or movies still enter the country through the mail. If we install filters on the Internet, these guys will surely still find ways around them.
In fact Thomas Beagle explains just why Internet Filtering Doesn't Work:
…as I've found out more about how the filtering will work (see the Technical FAQ), I've become increasingly impressed with just how useless it is. The DIA's proposed internet filtering system is not going to stop the people who want this material from accessing it.
He goes on to explain the points below:
1. It can't intercept encrypted web traffic (https).
2. It can't intercept file sharing, email, chat, instant messaging or anything other than unencrypted web traffic.
3. Adding new entries to the filter is a manual process.
4. The filter will only be used by some ISPs.
5. A motivated person can easily get around the filter.
The proposed filters will block sites whose addresses we don't know (for obvious reasons). For all we know they may soon extend their scope and block sites that don't contain child sexual abuse at all. They may also block sites that oppose it, or raise awareness about the exploitation of children or discuss entirely different issues such as adult pornography, or sexual health, or censorship.
We've seen that kind of scope creep before in other areas of life.
It seems as though the money being spent on installing and maintaining filters could be better spent on other methods of dealing with the problem.
I don't know that I oppose censorship though, and I think this is a complex and fraught issue. I'm interested to read the discussions on this topic, and welcome reasoned discussion in the comments here. |
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