Tips for Parents and Youth on Internet Literacy

The Internet can be a very helpful tool for research for homework assignments, job assignments, or even for finding recipes.  It is the best way to stay informed on late-breaking news.  However, as you know, the Internet can expose your children to things you may not want them to see or hear.  Here are a few helpful tips for integrating the Internet into your family life.

• Take the time to become educated about the Internet " it's an investment in the safety and health of your children.
• Put any computer with Internet access in a public area of the house - not in a bedroom or den.
• Spend time with your children cruising the Net together.  Make it a voyage of discovery and learning.  If you happen upon a site that is offensive to you, make it a teachable moment, explaining why you view the material as harmful.
• Use a filtering software program to block access to adult Internet sites.
• Remind your children that the rule not to talk to strangers applies on the Internet as well.  Never give personal information such as address and phone number to a stranger.  Never answer e-mails from people you don't know.  If your child makes an online friend and would like to get to know that person better, ask your child to introduce the person to you first.
• Tell you children never to give out a password and to always use a nickname when entering a chat room or visiting a bulletin board.  Tell them never to send their picture.  Tell your children not to fill out questionnaires they find on the Internet without your permission.
• Guide your children in how to use e-mail responsibly.  E-mail is a fun and useful part of the Internet, if used properly.
• Encourage your children to bring anything questionable to your attention, and praise them for brining problems to you.
• Don't overreact if your children bring something inappropriate to your attention.  You don't want to intimidate them, making them afraid to come to you with what they find.
• Tell your children not to respond to any belligerent or suggestive contact or anything that makes them uncomfortable-and to let you know if anything like that happens.
• Remind your children that these rules apply whenever they use computers, whether inside the home or outside the home.
• Above all, communicate.  The best protection is good relationships and a healthy Christian family life in which family members talk and pray together.

For more information, see the publication titled Your Family and Cyberspace by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, USCCB, 1.800-235-8722, #5-381.

This information is courtesy of Families Online packet, Saint Marys Press, 1.800-533-8095, www.smp.org and is used with permission of Sacred Relations Raising A Spiritual Family.

A Few Suggested Web Sites for Families

www.smp.org
From the Saint Mary's Press host site, click on "Family Faith-Life Resources" and you will find an array of resources, articles, and workshop opportunities for parents, youth, and families.  Saint Mary's Press has launched an innovative project to develop resources and services that assist families in their efforts to grow in faith. We recognize the sacredness of family relationships, and we believe that God dwells in the creases and folds of daily family living.  Through our resources and workshop experiences, we invite parents and families to grow into a deeper spiritual intimacy with one another.  We call our project Family Faith-Life Resources (FFLR).  Be sure to check out HomeWord, our mini-newsletter dedicated to family faith and household harmony.  Copies are available in your parish Office of Adult & Family Ministry.

www.homefaith.com
This is the best Web site for family faith and spirituality produced by the editors of U.S. Catholic magazine.  You will find a multitude of articles, interviews, and ideas organized in to the following categories:

• Handing on the Faith
• Family Spirituality
• Family and Media
• Raising Good Kids
• Feasts and Seasons
• Practical Parenting Ideas
• Parent-to-Parent
• Weekly Meditations

www.dove.org
The Dove Foundation is a non-profit organization established to encourage and promote the creation, production, and distribution of wholesome family entertainment.  The foundation, free from commercial pressures, awards a blue and white Dove Seal to any movie or video that is rated "family-friendly" by its film review board.

The Dove Foundation is working with the entertainment industry to help them identify and serve people who are eager to watch high quality, wholesome movie.  The Dove Seal makes it easy for customers to identify titles that are safe for family viewing.  Consumers are casting their votes for "family-friendly" movies by choosing titles that display the Dove Seal.

www.amonslove.com
A Mom's Love is a monthly online magazine full of insightful articles.  We support all moms-with pages for stay-at-home, work-at-home, single and working moms!

www.growingupdigital.com
Dedicated to the latest publication by Dan Tapscott, this site deals with the influence of technology on society, youth, and the forces of transformation that are poised to emerge out of this trend.  This Web site is designed to serve as an online community, where all those interested in technology, youth, and social transformation can come to share their opinions, get feedback, or access a library of reference links that deal with topics of interest to them.

www.netnanny.com
The Net Nanny Stay Safe Contract is intended to act as a guide to keep you and your family safe in a wired world.  "We urge you to sit down with your children and talk about the Internet.  Explain to them what areas of the Internet concern you and why.  The Internet is an incredible resource, but it is important to be aware and to be cautious.  We encourage all parents to become Internet savvy.  The more you know about the Internet, the easier it will be to protect your family from its potential pitfalls.  Knowledge is power."

Courtesy of and used with the permission of Families Online packet, St. Mary's Press, 1.800-533-8095.
Sacred Relations Raising A Spiritual Family. www.smp.org

https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/the-ultimate-parent-guide-for-child-internet/
This comprehensive guide outlines eight areas to pay attention to as you navigate the complex online world: mobile phones/apps, streaming content/smart TVs, gaming consoles/onlinegames, social media, cyberbullying, privacy/information security, viewing inappropriate content online, and online predators. Depending on the ages of your children, all of it may not apply to you. Think of it not only as guidelines for what you should do now but what you should pay attention to as your children grow.

Suggested Reading

The Parent's Guide to Protecting Your Children in Cyberspace by Parry Aftab is a no-nonsense guide for keeping kids protected and informed on the Internet.  McGraw-Hill, 2000 ISBN: 0071357521

Online Kids:  A Young Surfer's Guide to Cyberspace by Preston Gralla is ideal for older grade-schoolers and teenagers. John Wiley & Sons, 1999 ISBN: 047125312X

Internet Family Fun: The Parent's Guide to Safe Surfing by Bonnie Bruno and Joel Comm (contributor) will take you to the best and safest Web sites for our family fast without a bunch of technical mumbo jumbo. Contains nearly 250 reviews of fun and informative sites, pre-screened for age appropriateness and family-friendly content, for everyone from pre-schoolers to parents.  And it shows you how to keep your children safe online.  No Starch Press, 1997, ISBN:1886-411190