UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- For children left with more free time and less parental supervision, the Internet has become a favorite tool for entertainment. But parents should be wary, says an expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

"The World Wide Web offers many opportunities for your children to learn about their community, state, country and world," says Daniel Perkins, associate professor of family and youth resiliency in the department of agricultural and extension education. "Because there is also a lot of commercial information, parents need to help their children become information-literate."

Perkins says that children and youth often use search engines to help find information on topics such as games, movies, television shows, sports and fashion. After typing in a single word or phrase, the search engine provides a list of sites that contain the word or phrase in the Web address or in the site content. "While search engines help make the Web user-friendly, parents need to be aware of the potential hazards that accompany Web usage," he says.

Perkins warns that when children use search engines or Web links, they may intentionally or accidentally find sites that contain sexually explicit or objectionable material. Material on Web sites is not monitored, so information can be unreliable or misleading to children. "Internet sites are not restricted in marketing alcohol or tobacco products to children," he says. Also, games found online can be excessively violent and many sites request personal information.

Perkins says you can help keep children safe by following a few simple tips. "Keep your computer in a central location in your home, such as a family room. With other family members around, children may be less likely to view inappropriate material," he says.

He also suggests that parents lay "ground rules" before allowing a child to surf the Web. "Limit the amount of time they are allowed on the Web," he advises, "and instruct them not to give out personal information or to order products without your permission."

E-mail is a popular way for children and youth to keep in contact throughout the summer months. "Parents should know with whom their children are exchanging e-mail," Perkins says. "Many e-mail services provide parental control features. Using these features helps protect children from receiving unwanted and inappropriate e-mails."

Instant messaging, or IM, has grown in popularity. Messages can be sent instantly to another person online. Parents should be cautious, though, because it is easy to gain access to screen names, and children can receive messages from strangers. Perkins suggests that you talk to your children about the dangers of instant messaging. "Once in awhile, go in and ask them who they're talking to and what they're talking about," he says. "It's appropriate to be respectful, but also be aware that your monitoring is important."

Chat rooms are popular because you can communicate with more than one person at a time. People can type messages that will appear for everyone in the chat room to read and respond to. "As with any Internet tool, parents must be alert to online chat rooms," Perkins says. "Most chat rooms are not monitored for inappropriate conversations or offensive language." Perkins suggests that parents discuss chat room behavior with children and check out any chat rooms that children are interested in visiting.

Many software programs are available to increase parental controls for computers. Visit the Web at http://www.xdetect.com/main.html for information on programs and articles about computer safety.

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Contact:

Cheryl Anthony cka106@psu.edu 814-863-0938 814-863-9877 fax

Chuck Gill cdg5@psu.edu 814-863-2713 814-863-9877 fax #204