What are the benefits and risks of the Internet?
A. Email
B. Browsing the World Wide Web
C. Chatting
A. Email (Back to top)
Sending & receiving electronic messages
Positive Benefits for Your Child
-
Keep in touch with teachers, family, friends
-
Get help with homework
-
Establish mentoring relationships
-
Practice writing
-
Receive online newsletters
-
Make world-wide pen pals
Dangers/Risks
-
Strangers, at times pretending to be someone else, can communicate with your child
-
Unsolicited email ("spam"), usually about sites with sexually explicit material, products for sale, or moneymaking schemes
B. Browsing the World Wide Web (Back to top)
Exploring information on world-wide computer networks, usually by using a browser such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer
Positive Benefits for Your Child
-
Access rich educational and cultural resources (text, sounds, pictures, and video) otherwise unavailable to most people
-
Obtain up-to-the-minute information
-
Improve ability to understand and evaluate information
-
Stay informed by accessing your community and school Web sites
-
Play fun and educational games
-
Learn educational skills useful in future jobs
Dangers/Risks
-
Easy-to-find sites with sexually explicit images and text
-
Easy-to-find sites promoting hatred, bigotry, violence, drugs, cults, and other things not appropriate for children
-
Inaccurate, misleading, and untrue information
-
No restrictions on marketing products such as alcohol and tobacco to children
-
Marketing that deceptively collects personal information from kids in order to sell products to them or their parents
-
Requests for personal information for contests, surveys, etc., that are used in unauthorized ways
-
Easy access to games with excessive violence and gender stereotypes
C. Chatting (Back to top)
Reading messages from others as they are typing them, usually in the theme-specific "chat rooms"
Positive Benefits for Your Child
-
Develop relationships with children and adults around the world
-
Talk to kids and teens with similar interests and concerns, in rooms specifically for kids that are monitored closely by adults
-
Communicate instantaneously with family, friends, teachers, community leaders, etc.
Dangers/Risks
-
Offensive language and adult conversation
-
Because of its interactive nature, the most likely activity online through which children will encounter people who want to harm them
-
Too much time online which limits a child's well-rounded development by taking the place of friends, schoolwork, sports and other activities