Tips for Internet Safety from the Family Online Safety Institute

The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) is a useful resource for parents who want to help their children to safely get the most out of their Internet experience. Although the non-profit membership organization is based in the United Kingdom, it has offices in the United States and has an international focus. The organization provides members and non-members with information on how to make the online world safer for kids and their families.

Among the many helpful tools found on the organization's website is an online safety contract between parents and kids. There also is a list of safety tips for families, as well as a children's "Bill of Rights" for the Internet, with the guiding principal: "I have the right to feel safe and be safe on the Internet."

FOSI also provides a "Three C's" of online safety, based on the words contact, content and conduct:

• Avoid contact with strangers - Don't respond to emails or messages from people you don't know

• Consider the content of your message - If you wouldn't say it in front of a school assembly, don't post it

• Conduct yourself responsibly online - Choose a user name that won't reveal your identity and only share your password with a parent or guardian

One of the key components of the FOSI online safety contract is an agreement for parents to set rules for computer use. This is in keeping with the media management recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which says children age 2-18 should spend no more than two hours per day engaged in electronic entertainment such as TV viewing, video gaming and browsing the Internet.

One way for parents to ensure their kids adhere to online safety rules is to use the Mikko Que, a revolutionary device that monitors TV, video game or computer use and will shut down an appliance after a preset amount of time has elapsed. The Que allows kids to use TimeKeys, which activate the TV, game or computer for the allotted time - and no longer. It's a valuable tool for teaching time management, as well as a way for parents to make sure their kids learn healthy viewing habits. Contact Mikko USA to learn more.

Media Management for Children ... It's time.