The Internet can deliver thousands of educational and activity-oriented Web sites to children, but some corners of the World Wide Web are as dirty and dangerous as the darkest corners of a remote subway stop.
Web sites featuring violence, pornography and predators abound.
Let your youngsters know that if they run into abusive, angry or vulgar language online, they should ignore it and immediately log off the Internet. Put your computer in the family room or another common area that the entire family frequents. Occasionally join your kids during their Internet forays to see the sites they're visiting. Sometimes, however, even these measures may not be enough to adequately police your children's online activities. That is, parents can select levels of service crafted for young children, young teenagers or older teenagers.