With technology changing nearly at the speed of light, non-techie folks may struggle to keep a handle on which gadgets do what. For families who want to protect kids from things that may be inappropriate, the flurry of various technologies can quickly become overwhelming.
Let us take a look at just some of what is out there. This short guide will give you an overview of which gadgets can connect to the Internet and how you, as a parent, can help guide your child's online experience.
Computer: This one is obvious, but I've included it because the vast majority of computers today have the ability to connect to the Internet via a high-speed connection, a wireless connection or, at a minimum, a dial-up connection. This is something to keep in mind, especially if you have a laptop computer that sometimes travels with the kids. If the laptop goes to a friend's house or even to Grandma's, it can likely connect there as well.
If a laptop has wireless capabilities, your house doesn't even necessarily need a wireless access point for a child to get online. It is possible to receive a wireless signal from as far away as 500 yards (potentially even farther). If you don't have wireless in your house, do your neighbors? Is there a business nearby that might advertise a free "wi-fi" connection? If so, the computer may be able to connect to the Internet without your knowledge.
It is a good idea to place the computer that your kids use in a room that is open to the family (i.e. the living room) instead of in a bedroom, and to install parental controls that protect both the PC itself and the e-mail and IM accounts used by your kids.
Mobile Phones: Most phones made today have the ability to not only make phone calls, but also send text messages, connect to the Web, and capture (and send) pictures and video. Increasingly, mobile phones are the communication tool of choice for teens today.
The mobile Web places the power of the Internet literally in your hands. You can look up maps/directions, check movie times or grab the latest headlines. On most mobile phones, the Internet is displayed in special text only "WAP" pages, with smaller images available at times, but not always. Many web sites have even created duplicate sites and search engines that are designed specifically for the smaller screens on mobile devices. This has made it easier for users to search the Internet and find content in a format that they can easily read.
As technology has advanced, though, mobile phones and other hand held devices (for example, the iPhone) are increasingly capable of displaying full-fledged, color web pages, just as you might see sitting at a computer screen. (Only smaller.) This includes all the images and videos that the Internet has to offer.
There are many options available that will allow your child to be use a mobile phone more safely.
Some major carriers have phones that are actually designed for pre-teens, allowing parents to control who can call the phone and who can be called from that phone. As kids get older, there are options available from most carriers that filter out inappropriate web sites, block Internet use altogether, or only allow the user to see age-appropriate ring tones and wallpaper for the phone.
Check with your carrier to find out what options are available to you and your children. If you are hoping for more than what your carrier can offer, you might try pre-paid mobile phones that are not tied to a plan of any kind. Some pre-paid phones will restrict Internet access unless you specifically pay for it. The downside to pre-paid phones is that the cost-per-minute tends to be higher than those of traditional plans.
Some carriers are also beginning to offer location services that let you locate the cell phone based on the cell phone's
PDAs: The Personal Digital Assistant (a.k.a.
All modern PDAs provide a connection to the Internet and are designed for e-mail and other online communications. As of the writing of this article, I am unaware of any PDAs that have any kind of parental controls built in. (However, if the child is monitored via AOL Parental Controls on a PC, the controls will still be in effect for activities such as e-mail and instant messaging, regardless of how the child is connecting.)
Home Game Systems: One of the newer trends in home gaming is the ability to play against other people via the Internet, even if you are physically great distances apart. Many of the newer gaming systems offer this capability. When playing games online like this, of course, players don't necessarily know each other personally and it is possible to communicate with these "strangers" through the gaming system, most often through a voice-powered headset. Thus, an online game can turn into a big group phone call.
These online gaming systems include not only the systems that connect to your home TV, but also some of the hand-held devices such as the Sony PSP or Nintendo DS, both of which can both connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi connections.
Most of the major gaming systems have parental controls built in, such as controls regulating access to online capabilities. The systems come with directions on how to use them, but you can also check the manufacturer's web site for more information and help.
MP3 Players: Some, but not all, MP3 players have the ability to connect to the Internet using a Wi-Fi connection, and even include a small web browser. These devices can be used like a tiny little laptop that fits in your pocket.
