In one way, it's the same old story. In another, it's a brand new territory whose potential dangers and huge benefits are not yet fully understood. The issues around how parents can control or monitor their children's use of new media have been taxing the minds of psychologists, sociologists and sensitive technology providers for decades. However, there is at least one big difference between deciding what your children should or shouldn't watch on television or rent on video and determining what they should access through the Internet: your children are often much more familiar with the new technology than you are. And their fast, fluid young brains can also be quicker to pick up on the fastest ways of accessing websites, newsgroups and even sending emails - while you are still grasping the basics. So, how can parents sensibly and seriously make decisions about their children's Internet use?
The first and easiest solution, of course, is not to have Internet access in your home; just as some families (though they are in the minority) choose not to have a television, there will be parents who decide on principle not to bring the World Wide Web into their homes. Others, however, either fascinated by the new technology themselves or not happy to limit their children's interactive digital exploration to CD-ROMs, will need to know how best to monitor Internet use for younger members of the family.
The good news is that - probably due to the huge information-technology industry in Ireland - we are quite progressive in our attempts to find practical ways of "keeping an eye on what our children are accessing on the Internet". The soon-to-be-published guidelines on the use of the Internet in primary schools is a case in point. According to John Hurley, national co-ordinator of ScoilNet, Ireland is the first state in Europe to issue such guidelines.
Hurley makes the point that vigilance is the most important guard against children accessing material through the Internet that would not be suitable for their consumption. Simply keeping the computer in the living room rather than in a faraway study or bedroom allows parents to check up on what their children are viewing, and even to make comments about the contents. Just as psychologists have, in the past, suggested co-viewing of television programmes and videos which contains some violent or sexual content (even when such programmes have been certified for younger viewers) is the most effective way of helping a child's moral development, passing comment on information or images that appear on websites has the same effect.
The second most important means of controlling children's use of the Internet is through blocking or filtering software. This software is provided by your Internet service provider (ISP); the main ones in use in Ireland are Cyber Patrol, Cybersitter, SurfWatch and Net Nanny. While such software has often been criticised for being a rather crude screening system (e.g. filtering out anything to do with sex, including Middlesex; excluding any reference to breasts, including breast-feeding and breast cancer), it is still considered to be of value.
"They all have their limitations and they can't be totally relied on. Parents need to realise that IT-aware teenagers can find their way around such blocking systems," Hurley says. The National Centre for Technology in Education recommends Cyber Patrol as a filtering system and its website (www.ncte.ie) contains guidelines on how to set it up.
Information on this and other blocking systems is also available through the Irish ISPs - Tinet, Ireland On Line and Indigo. The software companies who develop the filtering packages also have websites dedicated to the packages themselves.
Another way of keeping an eye on what your children are accessing on the Internet is to check back on what sites were accessed through your browser (Microsoft's Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator being the main browsers used by Irish families). This is done by accessing the temporary folder of all files and images kept on your hard disk. The NCTE plans to issue guidelines in the future on how to do this; meanwhile, your ISP should be able to provide the necessary backup.
Another problematic area of Internet use for children is indiscriminate emailing. Here, the NCTE is very clear: the centre advises that children should be told never to give out personal information and never to make arrangements to meet people following online communication. Also, young people should always be told that if they ever receive a message that makes them feel uncomfortable, they should tell their parents straight away.
Some ISPs have attempted to limit the potential dangers of young people receiving or sending inappropriate emails by giving families the opportunity to have two email addresses, one for the adults and one for the children - the latter with a very limited access to the Internet.
Accessing discussion and news groups, as well as entering chatrooms where issues raised would not be suitable for young people, is another area which is very difficult to control. Here, parental monitoring of children's involvement is, by far, the best safeguard.
Finally, the best advice to all parents who intend to allow their children access to the Internet at home is to keep up with the technology. As in many other areas of family life, keeping the communication lines open between all family members will lead to happier, safer introduction and development of relations in cyberspace.
