Friday, December 2, 2011

Tech Toys and Kids' Safety

Christmas is near and for sure, many parents will be giving their kids tech toys. These are some of the hottest items on children’s wish lists: smartphones, tablets, and computers. Parents will gladly say “yes” and then be happy watching their kids click or tap away on their newest treasured possession. However, just as some parents would not think of giving their children a bike without a helmet, technology gifts should also come with safeguards.

Tens of thousands of parents do not realize the need to child-proof these devices. As these open the worldwide web to children, parents should make sure that their kids do not stumble upon the unsavory side of the internet. Kids have impressionable young minds and there are lots of “bad” things online that are not meant for them to see.

Without the needed protection, children might open a Pandora’s Box with their tech toys. There are those millions of x-rated web pages, violent videos, websites with disturbing topics from gambling to guns, and many more. Parents should not take their children’s safety for granted; instead they should look for software that could help filter the good from the bad.

There is a lot of available internet safety software for kids. Some are made for PCs and Macs, while others are suitable for specific mobile devices such as iPods, iPhones, and iPod Touch. There is nothing wrong with giving tech toys to kids this Christmas. The thing is that parents have to bear in mind that internet for kids should always be paired with safety.

Make your kids happy this Christmas by fulfilling their digital wishes. But before finally wrapping the gift, why don’t you install the software that will protect him? After all, kids of this generation cannot do away with being connected online. Keeping the line of communication open between parents and children can help the children understand why they need protection. They have to accept that not all sites on the internet are appropriate for them.

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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