A child has the right to use the internet.
As a parent I want my child to only enjoy search engines made for family searching and have a proper filter. I personally believe children should have the joy and use of the internet as much as any adult, as long as it is not the only activity they are doing. I have found many interesting and inspiring sites as an adult, and do not feel this should be any different for a child.
My first suggestion of course is to download the browser kidrocket, although they can not see any other web site then the ones they have programmed. A great kid friendly browser that is so fun to use. My second suggestion would be to use kid friendly search engines. I have found a few to get you started.
A web search engine made by librarians, and if you read my article on librarians, you would know how I feel about the choices they bring to children. They have a listing of 600 plus topics, and it is in alphabetical order. Good one to begin with.
It is search guide for children from kindergarten to grade twelve. The list includes classroom clipart, art and music and math. Ancient civilizations and American history is also included on that site. Crossword puzzles and coloring pages make the site very interesting to participate with and in.
This particular site is for children, teens, librarians and teachers and even college as a category. They have 37,000 resources that are carefully reviewed before being added to the site. The topics are broken up in sections such as science, technology and languages. A spelling feature is included on the actual search engine bar.
These three resources are a wonderful collection of child friendly search engines that all families should consider using when the children use the internet. It is unfortunate that we have had to make these resources in the first place, but at least it is accessible for the rest of us who want our children protected from what is placed online.
You can also let your children know that a search engine has been built to ask questions specifically asked by children, call ask kids. They might be able to receive information that way too, and then proceed to the other search engines I have listed.
Children have the right to use the internet, get your children to search safely!
October 30th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Thanks for sharing the information.
October 30th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Good info.
October 30th, 2009 at 10:45 am
thanks girl, researching all of this for my little girl because the internet is a scary place, between unappropriate postings, articles and people raping freedom of speech to their own likings, also the whole mob/lynch attack/mind tactics, I want my child protected from these sorts of individuals
October 30th, 2009 at 10:47 am
would love to find social media sites geared for children, without an age limit like 14, etc..I mean a real social media site that is filtered, an age limit is not filtering it
October 30th, 2009 at 10:48 am
cool suggestion
October 30th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Which led me to this article at Virtual Worlds News. It seems that politicians in the UK are worried about the virtual age-play that occurs in Second Life:
In particular for virtual worlds, the report references Age Play in Second Life, where sexual abuse of children is simulated, though noting that “no-one in particular is a target.”
SCARY READ about second life
http://socialmediaphilosophy.com/news/government-regulation-of-social-media-to-protect-children/
October 30th, 2009 at 10:52 am
thanks strovak, now I need some handy web developers LOL hehehe
I am talking like a twitter meets facebook KIDS ONLY, and filtered
October 30th, 2009 at 10:54 am
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1153583/Social-websites-harm-childrens-brains-Chilling-warning-parents-neuroscientist.html
another worth while read,
October 30th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
thanks for this…
October 30th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
A good article thanks for the share on this one a good read
October 30th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
thanks friend, so busy, I am trying to tie up some things here because I am moving this weekend, sunday actually, so I am letting technorati know next week would be better for me to start, and sent in my blog to Blogher, I write enough now between here, Newsblaze and techno, that is enough for me, I mean financially etc..enough, other then selling the odd article outright, that is more then I can handle and do, and the views and money is enough between them all
October 31st, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Oh I do not let it get to me at all, I am not concerned what so ever, I have received many emails and pm via support, no issues on my end, I am ignoring the article, I read it once the other day and saw two postings, by two people
I am just ignoring it, I mean it is obvious to most i joined here first, you do not follow your supposed stalker to the site they are writing at, post up on the articles, etc..
I am not alarmed by it all, thanks for the support