What are your main sites to block on the internet for your kids?

[Dianne-TX]

We use Covenant Eyes and Accountable 2 You, but I also block concerning sites.  I may not know all the sites that are a concern and would love to hear which ones you block or do not allow your children to access.  DC 15 and 13 are the only ones who have computers.  DC 6 and 3 aren't a concern.  :)  I want them to have freedom and learn how to use it wisely and safely (we've talked a lot about it and they know what dangers are out), but I also want to guard as best I can because what's seen can't be unseen and I want to do all I can to help them.  So far, I've blocked:

 

Google images and Bing images-- are there other sites like these?  You may enter an innocent search, but the other images that may come up are not innocent, so I blocked them.

 

FB and Twitter-- our kids won't have accounts on social media while young and at home.  When they are on their own, that's their business.  Less to have worry about IMHO.

 

News sites except the ones I trust and don't have concerning links, stories, and questionable entertainment news.  I allow the kids news version of those news sites like CNN kids.  They can access World, One News Now, SRN.  I want them to be able to know current events and stories of our time, but on safer news sites.

 

I know there are others that I can't think of right now.  Please help me add more that are concerning that I either do not know about or that I just can't think of right now.  Thanks!

 

 

Edited May 20, 2016 by Dianne-TX

[Guest]

Tumblr and Reddit can get pretty racy and inappropriate.

[Guest]

Oh and you might consider webcam security passcode is you're worried about Skype.

[Guest]

I'd block YouTube or disable streaming. There is good content there, but the teens can ask you for the specific videos they want to watch and you can use youtube-dl or a greasemonkey script on a "parent only" browser to get the good ones for the kids or schedule a movie night for the whole family.

Edited May 20, 2016 by Guest

[Ravin]

We enable SafeSearch on Google. Other than that, DD has only run into something she wished she hadn't like once on YouTube. She told me about it and has been more careful since.

[Janeway]

Reddit would be gone for sure. I actually have Reddit blocked. Lol... You might wish to block WTM so that can't spy on your posts! Lol!

[Farrar]

I agree with the sentiment above that safe search is usually enough for Google Images. I've never entered an innocent search and had anything horrible come up. The worst is maybe a scantily clad person, but nothing worse than you'd see on a magazine cover. Of course, if your kid googles images of body parts or sex acts, it won't be so innocent.

 

We have had more inappropriate stuff pop up on Youtube on the sidebar, but nothing truly awful.

 

You can't block everything... I think it's better to have a conversation about how to search and do periodic checks. And to give them positive places online to poke around. My kids like looking around on DIY.org, which is fully moderated and geared toward kids. And they like watching videos on The Kid Should See This, which has led them to lots of Youtube channels, which is a good way to approach Youtube - give them specific channels that are okay to browse.

 

Reddit and Tumblr are definitely on my no list though. 

[happypamama]

Just make sure you have something that actually enforces SafeSearch.  Otherwise, it can be turned off with a click.  My software enforces SafeSearch so they can't turn it off.  I believe you can log in to YouTube with your email, and you can override the "turn off Restricted" mode so that it stays in Restricted.  Unfortunately, that also blocks some perfectly acceptable videos (DH and my big kids have complained that guitar videos are often blocked, so DH and I do not have SafeSearch and Restricted YouTube on our accounts, but we do have the filters and DNS).

 

Between filter software and opendns, Google Images has not brought up anything nasty (granted, I haven't tested it a ton, but using basic searches, it finds nothing nasty).  But I block SnapChat just as a general rule, and I can't remember what else.  My teenager has no interest in Facebook but will sometimes go to it to see updates on bands she likes, so I haven't blocked it.  (My filter software does have some special Facebook monitoring, so if she gets an account, it'll help me keep tabs on it.)

Edited May 20, 2016 by happypamama

[Guest]

Just make sure you have something that actually enforces SafeSearch. Otherwise, it can be turned off with a click. My software enforces SafeSearch so they can't turn it off. I believe you can log in to YouTube with your email, and you can override the "turn off Restricted" mode so that it stays in Restricted. Unfortunately, that also blocks some perfectly acceptable videos (DH and my big kids have complained that guitar videos are often blocked, so DH and I do not have SafeSearch and Restricted YouTube on our accounts, but we do have the filters and DNS).

 

Between filter software and opendns, Google Images has not brought up anything nasty (granted, I haven't tested it a ton, but using basic searches, it finds nothing nasty). But I block SnapChat just as a general rule, and I can't remember what else. My teenager has no interest in Facebook but will sometimes go to it to see updates on bands she likes, so I haven't blocked it. (My filter software does have some special Facebook monitoring, so if she gets an account, it'll help me keep tabs on it.)

Which software do you use? I'm looking as YouTube and Google images are our biggest concerns but we don't want to block it all by a long shot, rather avoid the innocuous gone awry with a misspelled word or something.

[Dianne-TX]

Just make sure you have something that actually enforces SafeSearch.  Otherwise, it can be turned off with a click.  My software enforces SafeSearch so they can't turn it off.  I believe you can log in to YouTube with your email, and you can override the "turn off Restricted" mode so that it stays in Restricted.  Unfortunately, that also blocks some perfectly acceptable videos (DH and my big kids have complained that guitar videos are often blocked, so DH and I do not have SafeSearch and Restricted YouTube on our accounts, but we do have the filters and DNS).

 

Between filter software and opendns, Google Images has not brought up anything nasty (granted, I haven't tested it a ton, but using basic searches, it finds nothing nasty).  But I block SnapChat just as a general rule, and I can't remember what else.  My teenager has no interest in Facebook but will sometimes go to it to see updates on bands she likes, so I haven't blocked it.  (My filter software does have some special Facebook monitoring, so if she gets an account, it'll help me keep tabs on it.)

 

Remind me again about opendns?  It sounds familiar and I remember it was important...

 

[Ravin]

Just make sure you have something that actually enforces SafeSearch.  

 

The best enforcement I have found is that DD has no desire to go looking for inappropriate things. If anything, her standard for what is inappropriate is more restrictive than mine for her.

 

There is really no substitute for open communication about internet security and what is and is not appropriate and why. If a kid really wants to find and look at things they shouldn't, none of the software is going to stop them.

[Dianne-TX]

I double checked CNN student news and it still allows you to link to the main site and see all the entertainment news and be on the regular page.  They can get great news through World, One News Now and all the others I know about.  That one is gone.

[trulycrabby]

Imgur, too. Definitely block imgur. Oh, and liveleak too. :ack2:

[LucyStoner]

The best enforcement I have found is that DD has no desire to go looking for inappropriate things. If anything, her standard for what is inappropriate is more restrictive than mine for her.

 

There is really no substitute for open communication about internet security and what is and is not appropriate and why. If a kid really wants to find and look at things they shouldn't, none of the software is going to stop them.

Exactly. There's no substitute for supervision (when younger) and open parent child communication.

 

I don't block anything the safe search/standard parental controls on the computer doesn't. It's not necessary for us.

[Mergath]

I agree with the sentiment above that safe search is usually enough for Google Images. I've never entered an innocent search and had anything horrible come up. The worst is maybe a scantily clad person, but nothing worse than you'd see on a magazine cover. Of course, if your kid googles images of body parts or sex acts, it won't be so innocent.

 

We have had more inappropriate stuff pop up on Youtube on the sidebar, but nothing truly awful.

 

You can't block everything... I think it's better to have a conversation about how to search and do periodic checks. And to give them positive places online to poke around. My kids like looking around on DIY.org, which is fully moderated and geared toward kids. And they like watching videos on The Kid Should See This, which has led them to lots of Youtube channels, which is a good way to approach Youtube - give them specific channels that are okay to browse.

 

Reddit and Tumblr are definitely on my no list though. 

 

:iagree:  I haven't come across accidental porn on a mainstream website in years. Nowadays, there's porn sites galore if you go looking for them, but if you don't it's pretty hard to accidentally stumble across it unless you frequent various underground sites that are less choosy about their advertisers. 

 

And if kids want to go looking for the naughty stuff, ten minutes with Google on a friend's phone or computer will yield a multitude of ways to get around the filters. I spent less than five minutes on Google and found several ways to get around the filters mentioned in this thread without the parental unit even being aware of it. ;)  

[LucyStoner]

If you have porn popping up when you do innocuous searches, most probably someone using your device has been doing some not so innocuous searches.

 

We do restrict apps for devices to parent approval only. I'm more concerned about kiK or snap chat for young teens than I am about the cover of a bodice ripper popping up on Google images when you search for, I dunno, 19th century dresses.

[StephanieZ]

tumblr is a big porn site. Who'd have known?

[StephanieZ]

Remind me again about opendns?  It sounds familiar and I remember it was important...

 

 

This is a quick and dirty version. I've done it, but I'm no expert . . . Google up better step by steps, but here's a general overview of how I did it.

 

Go to opendns.com. Open a free account or a low-fee ($50/yr?) premium account. (I do the low fee premium account for various reasons.)

 

Set your router to use the opendns servers. Be sure only you and/or dh can change router settings. (Change the PW from the default!) 

 

Now, MOST important thing, make sure only you and/or dh has administrator privileges on all computers. This means setting up "child" user accounts on all computers the kids can access.

 

Now, as admin, on each of those computers, set the IP settings to only use the server/IP stuff that your router "automatically" provides. I.e., not to use the google servers, etc. Only the OpenDNS servers that your router is set to use. 

 

Now, reboot your computers. Open a browser. Try to go to a porn site. OpenDNS will block it. Go to the kid account and try to change IP settings. It should be "greyed out" and not let you change IP settings. 

 

If you or dh want an unblocked computer (unfiltered content and no data tracking on OpenDNS), then you just need to set your OWN IP settings to use google servers (or whoever). This is easy to do. THIS is what you have to prevent your kids from doing. :) 

 

Tablets, smart phones, etc also need blocking/settings . . . Be sure to check each device by trying to go to a porn site to see if your blocking is working. 

 

FWIW, IME, a determined 12 yo boy can work around most things you do . . . Be sure to check things periodically . . . And when you have things all set, go ahead and google "how to evade OpenDNS" or "How to evade parental controls in iOS" etc . . . You will learn in 5 min how to evade what you just set up . . . So then you are one step ahead in the arms race . . . Trust me. Google . . .

 

HTH

[Mergath]

This is a quick and dirty version. I've done it, but I'm no expert . . . Google up better step by steps, but here's a general overview of how I did it.

 

Go to opendns.com. Open a free account or a low-fee ($50/yr?) premium account. (I do the low fee premium account for various reasons.)

 

Set your router to use the opendns servers. Be sure only you and/or dh can change router settings. (Change the PW from the default!) 

 

Now, MOST important thing, make sure only you and/or dh has administrator privileges on all computers. This means setting up "child" user accounts on all computers the kids can access.

 

Now, as admin, on each of those computers, set the IP settings to only use the server/IP stuff that your router "automatically" provides. I.e., not to use the google servers, etc. Only the OpenDNS servers that your router is set to use. 

 

Now, reboot your computers. Open a browser. Try to go to a porn site. OpenDNS will block it. Go to the kid account and try to change IP settings. It should be "greyed out" and not let you change IP settings. 

 

If you or dh want an unblocked computer (unfiltered content and no data tracking on OpenDNS), then you just need to set your OWN IP settings to use google servers (or whoever). This is easy to do. THIS is what you have to prevent your kids from doing. :)

 

Tablets, smart phones, etc also need blocking/settings . . . Be sure to check each device by trying to go to a porn site to see if your blocking is working. 

 

FWIW, IME, a determined 12 yo boy can work around most things you do . . . Be sure to check things periodically . . . And when you have things all set, go ahead and google "how to evade OpenDNS" or "How to evade parental controls in iOS" etc . . . You will learn in 5 min how to evade what you just set up . . . So then you are one step ahead in the arms race . . . Trust me. Google . . .

 

HTH

 

I don't know that I'd rely on this, tbh. Most routers let you reset to factory defaults just by holding the reset button down for a set period of time, and that would reset the DNS, admin password, everything. A filter that can be undone by literally just pushing a button doesn't seem all that secure to me. ;) 

 

Unless you work for the NSA, there is no internet filter that a reasonably bright kid won't be able to get around after a few minutes of research and development. :P 

[Guest]

I don't know that I'd rely on this, tbh. Most routers let you reset to factory defaults just by holding the reset button down for a set period of time, and that would reset the DNS, admin password, everything. A filter that can be undone by literally just pushing a button doesn't seem all that secure to me. ;)

 

Unless you work for the NSA, there is no internet filter that a reasonably bright kid won't be able to get around after a few minutes of research and development. :P

Very very true. That's why we have a no computer in your room rule. It's out in the open for all to walk past. That doesn't stop the phone, but the phone is easier to lock down than the computer it seems.

[StephanieZ]

I don't know that I'd rely on this, tbh. Most routers let you reset to factory defaults just by holding the reset button down for a set period of time, and that would reset the DNS, admin password, everything. A filter that can be undone by literally just pushing a button doesn't seem all that secure to me. ;)

 

Unless you work for the NSA, there is no internet filter that a reasonably bright kid won't be able to get around after a few minutes of research and development. :p

 

Good point. I was aware of that, actually. I seriously considered putting our router in a locked cabinet (like we keep the router and servers secure at our work), but, fortunately for me, my boy has "grown out of" our arms race and we've settled into a reasonable internet use agreement that no longer requires the arms race. It takes a lot of effort, but it can be done. 

 

This is the reason you have to check your security on a regular basis. If I had it to do over again, I'd check everything routinely once a week at a random day/time . . . Just log into devices and try to access "restricted" sites. 

 

If I were starting over with littles, I'd have my router in a secure location, for sure. I'd just install a locked cabinet with sufficient openings for the antennae, lol. My household has grown past the internet arms race, thank goodness. It's was nightmare, lol. 

 

And, actually, I *have* found ways to secure internet access on computers in our house and also on wifi devices. The only thing I can't readily secure is data enabled devices that get their data from cell service. (There are ways, but I lost my energy to try . . . and I sort of grew past the need . . . ) Anyway, if I were starting over with littles, I'd restrict internet ready devices to those I knew how to secure. 

 

IMHO, any determined kid will gain access to "restricted" sites . . . I'm not suggesting anything that would provide 100% prevention, but I do think it is helpful to moderate problematic activities by doing what you can to limit site access. IMHO, there is a big difference between accessing porn a few times every so often (through a security lapse or at a friend's house, etc.) than surfing it for many hours per week, setting up accounts on yucky sites, making "friends" online . . . By making it difficult to access problematic sites, I think you can reduce to chance of a serious problem evolving. 

[Mergath]

Good point. I was aware of that, actually. I seriously considered putting our router in a locked cabinet (like we keep the router and servers secure at our work), but, fortunately for me, my boy has "grown out of" our arms race and we've settled into a reasonable internet use agreement that no longer requires the arms race. It takes a lot of effort, but it can be done. 

 

This is the reason you have to check your security on a regular basis. If I had it to do over again, I'd check everything routinely once a week at a random day/time . . . Just log into devices and try to access "restricted" sites. 

 

If I were starting over with littles, I'd have my router in a secure location, for sure. I'd just install a locked cabinet with sufficient openings for the antennae, lol. My household has grown past the internet arms race, thank goodness. It's was nightmare, lol. 

 

And, actually, I *have* found ways to secure internet access on computers in our house and also on wifi devices. The only thing I can't readily secure is data enabled devices that get their data from cell service. (There are ways, but I lost my energy to try . . . and I sort of grew past the need . . . ) Anyway, if I were starting over with littles, I'd restrict internet ready devices to those I knew how to secure. 

 

IMHO, any determined kid will gain access to "restricted" sites . . . I'm not suggesting anything that would provide 100% prevention, but I do think it is helpful to moderate problematic activities by doing what you can to limit site access. IMHO, there is a big difference between accessing porn a few times every so often (through a security lapse or at a friend's house, etc.) than surfing it for many hours per week, setting up accounts on yucky sites, making "friends" online . . . By making it difficult to access problematic sites, I think you can reduce to chance of a serious problem evolving. 

 

The mark of a master is that not only can he/she get around the filter, but also leaves the filter intact so you never know they've been there. ;) 

 

Also, I learned how to pick locks years ago with the internet and ten minutes. Make sure that cabinet is locked with a padlock. I can open a standard cabinet lock with a few minutes and two paperclips. 

 

And yes, I was a very annoying child who found ways around EVERYTHING.  :lol:  I completely understand that you're aware of all this, but I don't want less tech savvy parents to think these methods we're discussing are especially secure.

[StephanieZ]

The mark of a master is that not only can he/she get around the filter, but also leaves the filter intact so you never know they've been there. ;)

 

Also, I learned how to pick locks years ago with the internet and ten minutes. Make sure that cabinet is locked with a padlock. I can open a standard cabinet lock with a few minutes and two paperclips. 

 

And yes, I was a very annoying child who found ways around EVERYTHING.  :lol:  I completely understand that you're aware of all this, but I don't want less tech savvy parents to think these methods we're discussing are especially secure.

 

I think the best idea is to have a low-tech household when you have kids under 12, and then, when you add some more tech, to do it very cautiously and with great supervision. :) 

 

Honestly, I think the best thing I did was not have laptops for the kids until they were older teens (I'd advise 16+). A good friend had only one family computer in the house -- a desktop on the kitchen desk. (Her husband had work computers, but kids couldn't access them.) She even turned the data off her teen's smart phone except when they were traveling or occasionally during a summer break. Both her sons went on to become engineering geeks at an elite college and great high tech careers . . . not held back at all by the limited tech in the house. ;) I should have kept things in check like that, but I was lulled into complacency by my well behave eldest kid -- a daughter.  Boys are *different* LOL

 

Parents of 8 yo boys never listen to me, though . . . They just can't believe that their sweet hairless little boys could *ever* be interested in the darker edges of the internet. . . No one ever anticipates their kid growing up as soon as they do . . . 

 

All that said, we've all survived, despite having some internet issues earlier in teen years . . .

[Guest]

The mark of a master is that not only can he/she get around the filter, but also leaves the filter intact so you never know they've been there. ;)

 

Also, I learned how to pick locks years ago with the internet and ten minutes. Make sure that cabinet is locked with a padlock. I can open a standard cabinet lock with a few minutes and two paperclips.

 

And yes, I was a very annoying child who found ways around EVERYTHING. :lol: I completely understand that you're aware of all this, but I don't want less tech savvy parents to think these methods we're discussing are especially secure.

And for anyone with the technologically annoying child, might I suggest NSA summer coding class. You might as well develop the skill. ;)

[happypamama]

The best enforcement I have found is that DD has no desire to go looking for inappropriate things. If anything, her standard for what is inappropriate is more restrictive than mine for her.

 

There is really no substitute for open communication about internet security and what is and is not appropriate and why. If a kid really wants to find and look at things they shouldn't, none of the software is going to stop them.

I absolutely DO believe that there is no substitution about open discussion and communication, and sure, if they really want to find things they shouldn't, they will probably find a way to get around any protections.

 

However.  We had an incident a few years ago where my now-teenager, extremely innocently, at the height of her costume and Star Wars obsession, googled "Padme Amidala dress-up."  She was ten or so, and I absolutely am 100% sure that she was looking for something innocent.  She liked those electronic paper doll sorts of things, where you can put different costumes on a character, and so I'm sure she was looking for something like that.  She was too young to know that there were going to be Padme Amidala dress-up things that weren't so innocent.  I don't really remember why she had access to the internet when we weren't right there next to her, but it wasn't necessarily a big deal that she was (she wasn't sneaking on or anything); I think at the time, we just hadn't done a lot of internet usage for the kids, and we really hadn't thought about it much.  Apparently, she came across something at least somewhat unsavory.  Thankfully, she is a smart kid and closed whatever it was right away, and to this day, she's not entirely sure of what it was.  She came and told us, and we talked about it a bit, and it doesn't seem to have been a lasting issue.  But it's something I'd like not to repeat again.  

 

If people want to look at something they shouldn't, then there are a lot of ways they can do that, and it's not limited to internet use, but I'm certainly not going to make it easy for them, not in my house and not on devices that I pay for.  It's not the occasional viewing of p*rn that bothers me the most (although I'm not in favor of it at all); it's the ease with which it can become a habit and can lead to more and uglier viewing.  So my goal is to make it hard for it to become a habit while they're young.  Even good, trustworthy kids can be tempted and sucked in.

 

We use Qustodio for filtering, but also for time management.  I do find it very helpful to be able to limit the time my kids (and really, it's just my oldest mostly; my 11yo occasionally uses the computer for very specific things but almost never for Google and not for any social media -- he barely checks his email) are able to use Google, because it's really easy for time to slip away.  With five kids, and older kids who need to be able to work in quiet spaces, I can't be everywhere, and I can't supervise all computer usage all the time.  So the program helps me.  I *can* monitor their searches, but I generally don't; I only would if I were seeing red flags in other ways.  I do like that if time management is an issue (and all kids are different), I can block social media sites while still allowing necessary sites.

 

OpenDNS -- and you probably want the Family version -- adds a layer of protection for devices not protected by Qustodio, so any device -- phone, tablet, smartTV, someone else's laptop, etc. -- which uses our WiFi has something to block nasties.  I was picturing teenage boys hanging out with all their little devices.  Now, it won't block things that use a cell connection, but it's something (and my kids don't have cell devices yet anyway).  Our router has two passwords.  One is the general password that restricts outside usage; that one can be reset by pushing the router button.  The other is set up on a computer and isn't reset by pushing the button; I'm the only one who has knows it, and it's the one that's needed to change the DNS settings.  (And again, Google may give ways to get around that, but my goal is to make it harder.)

[LucyStoner]

And for anyone with the technologically annoying child, might I suggest NSA summer coding class. You might as well develop the skill. ;)

Our digital native kids will always be about 17 steps ahead of the average reasonably savvy parent.

 

Barriers, filters, locks are not suitable replacements for parental involvement, supervision, parent child communication and fully open and specific education about online safety.

 

I'm seeing this play out with my niece (newly 14) and my son (very rapidly crashing into his 13th birthday). Seeing the difference in how they navigate these waters and what they do online reinforces for me that teaching internet safety and decorum for teens ideally starts when they are about 7 years old.

Edited May 21, 2016 by LucyStoner

[happypamama]

Our digital native kids will always be about 17 steps ahead of the average reasonably savvy parent.

 

Barriers, filters, locks are not suitable replacements for parental involvement, supervision, parent child communication and fully open and specific education about online safety.

 

 

But surely there is a time and place for both to be helpful, and it doesn't have to be either/or.  I certainly teach my children about water safety too; I help them physically navigate water, and I also discuss water safety with them.  But I also don't let them swim alone, and if I had a pool, it would have a locked fence around it.  I don't expect that a locked fence would prevent every single drowning accident, but it would prevent quite a few; I don't expect that discussion and education would prevent every single drowning accident either, but it would help at least somewhat.  Nothing's going to replace parental involvement, because there's just no substitute for that, but I think it's reasonable to use helpful tools.

[LucyStoner]

But surely there is a time and place for both to be helpful, and it doesn't have to be either/or. I certainly teach my children about water safety too; I help them physically navigate water, and I also discuss water safety with them. But I also don't let them swim alone, and if I had a pool, it would have a locked fence around it. I don't expect that a locked fence would prevent every single drowning accident, but it would prevent quite a few; I don't expect that discussion and education would prevent every single drowning accident either, but it would help at least somewhat. Nothing's going to replace parental involvement, because there's just no substitute for that, but I think it's reasonable to use helpful tools.

I see your point (and agree!) but the goal with the pool would presumably be that at some point, your kids would be strong enough swimmers to swim with less supervision (older teens for example). You can't hold onto a 16 year old in the water like we do our 16 month olds.

 

I'm not saying don't have any filters or monitoring in place. I'm saying that if the goal is raising savvy and ethical kids who can responsibly use the Internet and be trusted with it before they leave home, making a list of specific sites to ban isn't the way to get there. For one there are more dicey sites than we can list and more come into existence each day. For two, I'd rather have a kid who doesn't go looking for crappy stuff on the web than one who might run into a few easy to break barriers. Occasionally when my son has stumbled into something dicey (and no, not porn) he came to me and we talked about it and he learned to better screen what to click on.

Edited May 21, 2016 by LucyStoner

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

It's easier and more productive to start having early conversations about how there are positive and negative things on the Internet, and what to do if you accidentally come across something you didn't mean to.

 

If actual porn is popping up easily, then someone is already searching for and viewing it on that computer/device. Search engines are designed now to adjust based on your previous searches and areas of interest. They put what you are mostly likely interested in at the top of the list.

 

The basic filters supplied by google and other search engines are enough. But wth younger kids a parent needs to be around supervising.

 

I'm pretty laid back about searching on computers, we've been talking about it forever. But, currently, computers are in the same room as mine and face the room even. Thus also allows me to make sure they are doing school work not games on them easily as well.

[Dmmetler]

I will also say that if your DC take online classes, the providers we use have all basically made the first assignment every semester "Internet Safety and Security", and it's been very reinforcing for DD to hear it from someone else as she's getting older. So far, she's a lot more cautious than I am.

 

I've also found that even sites that include less than ideal content (Blogspot, for example, is where DD's blog is-and it definitely has some unsavory blogs on it) do not allow you to just innocently click on the next blog in the ring if it has adult content-a separate page will come up and you have to explicitly approve going on to it.

 

I do keep a close eye on social media-DD has pages for her projects, and because of that, she is on FB and twitter to post and moderate and respond on those pages, and I go through and moderate those before she sees them each day. About 99% of the content is no big deal, but on twitter, especially, the people with adult oriented webcam feeds will often go through and just blindly follow a ton of pages in the hopes that people will follow them back and give them legitimacy. I block those with impunity as soon as they show up. DD also knows that it's a BAD idea to click on links to tumblr, reddit, instagram, and webcam feeds-because if they're posting JUST a link, usually it's because the actual picture/video is something that twitter/FB will delete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dianne-TX]

I will also say that if your DC take online classes, the providers we use have all basically made the first assignment every semester "Internet Safety and Security", and it's been very reinforcing for DD to hear it from someone else as she's getting older. So far, she's a lot more cautious than I am.

 

I've also found that even sites that include less than ideal content (Blogspot, for example, is where DD's blog is-and it definitely has some unsavory blogs on it) do not allow you to just innocently click on the next blog in the ring if it has adult content-a separate page will come up and you have to explicitly approve going on to it.

 

I do keep a close eye on social media-DD has pages for her projects, and because of that, she is on FB and twitter to post and moderate and respond on those pages, and I go through and moderate those before she sees them each day. About 99% of the content is no big deal, but on twitter, especially, the people with adult oriented webcam feeds will often go through and just blindly follow a ton of pages in the hopes that people will follow them back and give them legitimacy. I block those with impunity as soon as they show up. DD also knows that it's a BAD idea to click on links to tumblr, reddit, instagram, and webcam feeds-because if they're posting JUST a link, usually it's because the actual picture/video is something that twitter/FB will delete.

 

My kids don't take online classes, but I would be interested in knowing what Internet Safety and Security information their teachers share with them.  Is it a write up that they read or a video they watch or something from the online class provider specificially?  Easy Peasy Homeschool site links to a page, but I would like something more than that.  By the way, we talk and have talked A LOT about internet use and safety and are always communicating daily, but I've never done a straight forward presentation so to speak about it that's also done for me by those that probably know more and have spent time putting together a presentation, too.    :)  Thanks.

 

Edited May 22, 2016 by Dianne-TX

[Dmmetler]

They've ranged from watching a video and taking a quiz, to having to identify which sites are accurate and which are invalid and why, and having to explain safety rules and reasons behind them. And they've always been part of the grade.

 

This is one which has been assigned when she was in elementary level classes

https://www.brainpop.com/technology/digitalcitizenship/onlinesafety/

 

Here's one of the invalid sites where the kids had to visit it and write about whether it was true or not-and why. http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/

Edited May 22, 2016 by dmmetler