This is a topic that I have talked about before but
I feel it’s important to remind people from time to time that their children
are at risk on the internet. With our busy lives and hectic schedules we
sometimes just can’t find the time to do everything and monitoring our child’s
behavior on the internet is often one of those things that just doesn’t get
done. The truth is that it doesn’t take much time to figure out what sites your
child routinely visits and it’s not necessary to sit and watch them for hours
if you know how to do certain things.
The simplest and quickest way to check up on your
child’s internet habits is to simply check the history of your browser. Your
browser will show you every site that your child has visited on the internet in
reverse chronological order, that is to say the most recent will be first. One
word of caution however; a child that is computer savvy will be able to delete
any history in the browser that they want to keep secret and you will never
know it. If this is a possibility than you will want to decide on a different
monitoring method.
Many people don’t know that they can use their
wireless router to monitor internet usage. Some routers offer this option while
some do not. All you need to do is to type the IP address of your router into
the address bar of your browser. If
you’re not sure what the IP address is you can find out by simply a command
window (run CMD.exe in Windows) and typing in ipconfig/all.
The number listed under “Default Gateway” is your IP address. You may or may
not need a password to access your router. If you do you can check the
paperwork that came with your router or contact the manufacturer online to
obtain it.
Once you enter the IP address in
your address bar and hit “enter” you will be able to access your router. You
can then click on “logs” to see a list of websites that have been visited on
your computer. It’s very much the same as viewing your browser history but most
children know nothing about this little secret. Depending upon the features of
your router you may also be able to create a list of websites that you don’t
want your child to have access to. Some routers even allow you to receive an
email if your child tries to access any of the blocked sites. It’s just that
simple and it doesn’t cost a single penny to do it.
A third option for monitoring the
activity of your computer is to use software designed for that purpose. There
are many services to choose from and they are all very reasonably priced. One
of my favorites is McGruff SafeGuard
because it allows you to remotely monitor your child’s conversation on the
computer and even translates all of those annoying abbreviations that kids use
online today if you are not familiar with them. Never the less there are many
choices for concerned parents and it’s best to do a little research to find
which program is best suited for your needs.
Regardless
of what method you decide to use to keep an eye on your child’s internet usage,
talking to him/her is something you should do from time to time. Remind them of
the dangers of talking to strangers online and be sure they know which sites
you do not want them to visit. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
and being able to monitor the activity of your computer will bring you peace of
mind that your child is using the internet in a safe and appropriate manner.
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