"Allowing kids to go online without supervision or ground rules is like allowing them to explore a major metropolitan area by themselves. The Internet, like a city, offers an enormous array of entertainment and educational resources but also presents some risks. Kids need help navigating this world.

Where Do Kids Connect?

• Kids go online almost anywhere. They surf the Internet and send messages from a home computer or one at a friend’s home, library, or school.

• Kids connect at coffee shops and other “hotspots” using laptops and wireless connections.

• Internet-enabled, video-game systems allow them to compete against and chat with players around the world.

• Cell phones enable kids to surf the web and exchange messages, photos, and short videos from just about anywhere.

You can’t watch your kids every minute, but you do need to use strategies to help them benefit from the Internet and avoid its risks.

By exploring the Internet with your kids, you greatly expand its capacity as an educational tool.  By providing guidance and discussion along the way, you increase kids’ online skills and confidence along with their ability to avoid risks.  And you might be surprised by what kids teach you at the same time."

"You can't take it back...think before you type"