Children up to age 7

  • The first exposure to the Internet lays the foundation for later use and good manners in children. Preschoolers like the established routines and are an ideal way for children to develop safe Internet use skills.
  • Children under the age of 7 may not fully understand the information available on the Internet and, for example, may not be able to distinguish between advertisements and actual content. At this age, parents need to help children find appropriate material. Children often do not see the difference between using the Internet and playing games or drawing on a computer.
  • At this stage, parents can establish the first internal rules for computer use.
  • Time spent at the computer should be limited for health reasons.
  • Place the computer in the living room, for example. When preschoolers use the Internet, the presence of an adult is recommended.
  • Internet access for preschoolers should be limited to a list of familiar Web sites chosen in advance. More trained children can find familiar sites in their Internet browser’s Favorites menu.
  • The safest solution is to create a personal working environment for the child, in which the choice of sites is limited to the specified sites only.

Children 7-9 years old

  • Young students will be dealing with the Internet not only at home, but also at school and with friends. Parents and children should discuss how to use the Internet appropriately and agree on rules to follow. Children ages 7-9 may already have a relatively good idea of what they are seeing. However, they are not ready to handle all the material available on the Internet, especially scary or inappropriate material (images, text, or sound). Talking about these materials and explaining the different things children may encounter online will help children become responsible and capable of operating independently and safely online. Parents can share their own opinions and perspectives on Internet use to help their children.
  • Restrictions, protection, and supervised Internet use are still paramount at this age. Parents and children are encouraged to agree on rules for Internet use and review them as children get older.
  • Internet use at home is still allowed only when parents are present. This ensures that help is available in any problematic situation.
  • If a computer is set up in a room used by the whole family, Internet use becomes a natural part of daily life.
  • A child cannot yet determine the reliability of a website on his or her own, so s/he should always ask permission from parents before posting personal information.
  • Chat rooms and other public interactive discussions are not yet appropriate for a child of this age. A shared family email address should be used as the email address used by this age group.
  • When creating a user account with limited privileges, the child can learn to use the computer independently.
  • Filtering software can also be used to prevent access to inappropriate sites, but it is important that parents remain actively involved in the child’s use of the Internet.