While children and teenagers need a certain amount of privacy, they also need parental involvement and supervision in their daily lives. The same general parenting skills that apply to the "real world" also apply to the online world.

The best way to assure that your children are having positive online experiences is to stay in touch with what they are doing. One way to do this is to spend time with your children while they’re online. Have them show you what they do, and ask them to teach you how to use the Internet or online service. You might be surprised at how much you can learn from your kids.

Below are some ideas for family Internet rules. Consider making your own list as a family, then keep it posted near your computer.

• I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents’ work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parents’ permission.
  
• I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.
  
• I will never agree to get together with someone I "meet" online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or father along.
  
• I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents.
  
• I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do I will tell my parents right away so that they can contact the online service.
  
• I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online, and appropriate areas for me to visit.
  
• I have the right to “pull the plug” any time I find something that makes me feel uncomfortable or enter an area on the Internet where I know I shouldn’t be. This means I can kill power to the PC by using the power-off switch or by actually pulling the electrical cord out of the wall.
  
• If I try to “erase my tracks” or defeat parent installed monitoring programs or circumvent access control features, I will lose all Internet privileges.

Take the time as a parent to become familiar with Internet terms and jargon.

THE WORLDWIDE WEB
Web sites give you the opportunity to read newspapers, tour museums, check out libraries, visit distant lands, play games, look at pictures, shop, or do research to help you with your homework. You can pursue your hobbies, plan vacations, and much more. There are millions of web sites on just about every topic imaginable. One uses an “internet browser” to access this resource.

Caution: In addition to displaying information, web sites sometimes ask you for information about yourself. The site may ask for your name, mailing address, E-mail address, and other information before it will let you in. It may entice you to provide information in exchange for sending you a promotional item or entering you in a contest

When you enter information on a web site or anyplace on the Internet, you're giving up a bit of your privacy. At best, your name will wind up in some database, probably to be used to sell you something now or later. At worst, it could be used to harm or exploit you. Just because a web site seems to be operated by a reputable organization or individual doesn't mean that it necessarily is what it seems to be. Anyone – including creeps and criminals – can set up their own web site. So be extremely cautious before telling the "web master" anything about yourself. This is especially true with sites that contain adult material.

CHAT ROOMS
Chat rooms let you engage in a live conversation with people around the block or around the world. It’s like being on a conference call, only you type instead of talk. Everyone in the "chat room" can see everything you type. The types of chat rooms vary depending on the service you’re using. Some chat rooms are just open conversations. Everyone has a pretty much equal role. Some rooms are moderated where there is a “speaker” who is leading the discussion and participants. Some rooms have chaperons or monitors who are responsible for maintaining order, but even in some of these rooms what you type is displayed immediately. The monitor can kick someone out of the room who is acting in an inappropriate manner, but he or she may be able to act only after the fact. The monitor can’t, however, prevent you from going off to a private chat area with a person who might do you harm or typing information that could put you in danger.

Caution: It can be tempting to get together with someone you meet in a chat room, but remember – people are not always who they seem to be. The basic rules for online safety apply to all areas of the Internet, but they are especially important in chat areas. Never give out personal information, and never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone you meet in a chat room.


INSTANT MESSAGING
Instant messaging is a lot like Jr High students passing notes back and forth in class. The communication takes place over the Internet normally one-on-one and in real time. There is typically no log kept (unlike e-mail) of the messages passed back and forth.

Caution: The same cautions that apply to e-mail and chat rooms apply to instant messaging.

E-MAIL
E-mail is typically a one-to-one communications system. Just like regular mail, you write to someone and they can write back. E-mail programs can store these messages for ever.

Caution: Be careful how you respond to E-mail from people you don’t know. Remember, the sender might not be who he or she seems to be.

In general, it’s best not to respond to spam mail (junk mail) or mail from someone you don’t know. By responding, you are verifying to the sender that you have a valid E-mail address, and that information can be used to encourage a person who may send inappropriate E-mails or get you on even more lists.


NEWSGROUPS, FORUMS, AND BULLETIN BOARDS
Newsgroups (sometimes called bulletin boards or forums) are places where you can read and post messages or download or upload files. Unlike chat rooms, newsgroups are not live or "real time." If you post a message it remains on the newsgroup for people to look at later. Newsgroups can also be used to post files including computer programs, pictures, illustrations, and stories.

Caution: The biggest risk is that you might post something that reveals information about yourself. Even if you are responding to a particular individual's posting, what you type, in most cases, is available for anyone to see. So, once again, remember the basic rules and never reveal identifying information about yourself. In many cases, the mere act of posting something makes your E-mail address public. Even if you don't say anything revealing, your address will be available for people to send you E-mail that could be bothersome, and newsgroups are a favorite place for people who send out junk mail ("spam") to gather addresses.