The world changes at lightening speeds sometimes and we might wonder what happened to the "good ole' days” when not so many precautions had to be taken to protect our children. But with the advances of technology, new sets of precautions need to be followed to keep our grandchildren safe.

Children these days are very "web savvy" and can spend hours surfing the Internet or playing computer games versus playing ball outside or with their toys. Most households have a computer in this day in age, and it is probably one of their favorite past times. So when spending time with your grandchildren, it would be a great time to remind them about both the benefits and dangers of cyberspace, especially if they come to your house to use your computer. Spending time with them while they are online and having them show you what they like to do and where they like to go will give you a segue into talking with them about internet safety.

We all know the benefits of the Internet, but are we aware of the risks, especially to children?  Here are some to be aware of:

• A child may be exposed to inappropriate material that is sexual, hateful or violent in nature.  Children can come across it on the web via chat sites, E-mail, or instant messaging.  In some cases, child molesters have used these methods to gain a child’s trust and to arrange a face-to-face meeting.
• A child might be bullied at school and those same young people might be bullying them on the Internet via chat, E-mail or their cell phones.  These messages might be belligerent, demeaning and harassing.
• A child might download a file containing a virus that could damage your computer or increase the risk of a “hacker” gaining access to your computer, jeopardizing your privacy and safety.
• A child could give out a credit card number or sign up for something that is advertised on the Internet.

There are some things that you can do to help protect them from harm such as by using technological-child protection tools.  Spam filters limit unsolicited E-mails including mail that is sexually oriented.  Filtering software can be purchased that blocks chat sites, newsgroups and websites that are known to be inappropriate for children.  The software needs to be configured by you to filter out websites that contain nudity, sexual content, and hateful or violent material due to the speed and amount of new sites introducing themselves to the Internet daily. Filtering software is not always leakage proof and so a combination of communicating with your grandchildren about what is out there and informing them of what to do when they are confronted with these kinds of risks along with using filtering software is a good solution.  It is impossible to protect your grandchildren from everything but knowledge is power and giving them the right tools to know what is right from wrong can help prevent future problems and empower them at the same time.

Before your grandchildren use your computer for the first time, set some ground rules for them to follow.  This will help minimize some risk from the get go.  Here are some basic rules to go by:

• Never let them give out identifying information in a public message such as in a chat site or instant message.
• Inform them never to respond to messages that are suggestive, obscene, threatening or make them feel uncomfortable.  Encourage them to inform you if they encounter such a message.
• People may not be who they say they are because you cannot hear or see the person.  Remind them that it would be easy for people to misrepresent themselves on the Internet. 
• Advise them of the dangers of making arrangements to meet a stranger from the Internet. 
• Warn them about using file-sharing networks that allow people to exchange music, pictures, text and videos online.  Not only can it be identifying, it can also cause viruses to enter into your computer unknowingly. 

Discuss your computer rules with them because every household is different.  Post these rules next to your computer as a reminder.  Also, set a time limit when it comes to the amount of time they are allowed to spend on the computer and the time of day. 

Open communication in all facets of your relationship with your grandchildren is a major preventative method with Internet safety.  A respectful, loving environment for them to feel comfortable in sharing things with you is key to staying out of harms way.  Respect reciprocates respect and communicating with them creates a good environment for respect to flourish.  Spending time with your grandchildren in whatever activities they appreciate helps create a bond that only a grandchild and a grandparent can share.