‘Virtual Sandbox’ Helps Kids Play Safe

When I was about 15, I took driving lessons in one of those dual-control cars, in which the instructor was equipped with his own steering wheel and brake.

As far as I can remember, he never used them. Instead, he kept a careful eye on me and helped me learn from and correct my mistakes. Sometimes my dad would let me drive his car, with him by my side so I could improve my skills and practice the rules of the road. After I got my license, I started driving on my own; despite my training, I was far from perfect. I got at least one ticket, stayed out too late once or twice and, during my senior year of high school, took advantage of that big front bench seat of my dad’s ’61 Impala to smooch with my girlfriend.

Despite some transgressions, I think it’s fair to say that I was a pretty decent driver and a pretty good kid.

My teenage kids aren’t driving yet, but they do cruise the Internet and, like me at the wheel, they had plenty of dual-control training before we started trusting them to surf on their own. Yet we check in on them now and then to make sure that they understand and are following the basic rules of the road. As far as I know, my kids aren’t going to inappropriate Web sites but, even if they do wind up visiting places that my wife and I would prefer they avoid, I trust that they know the difference between a minor transgression and a serious mistake such as revealing their identify to a stranger or getting together with someone they meet online.

Young kids do need supervision when online, but sometimes it’s not practical to sit with them the entire time they’re on the Net. That’s why there are filtering programs that block access to inappropriate sites as well as “virtual sandbox” programs that take the somewhat different approach of guiding kids not so much away from the “bad” sites but toward the good ones. This approach makes a great deal of sense for young children because it stresses the positive aspect of the Net and provides both you and them with good starting points for a fun and productive online adventure.

KidDesk Internet Safe from EdMark (https://www.edmark.com), for example, is a $29 program that creates a special kids desktop that links them to age-appropriate sites while keeping them away from online smut and from programs and files that parents don’t want them messing with. The program is updated with new sites on a regular basis.

JuniorNet (https://www.juniornet.com) is a subscription service that combines multimedia elements and games from a CD-ROM with up-to-date information on the Internet. Unlike most Internet services these days, it’s free of advertising. Instead, parents pay $9.95 a month to access content from magazines such as Sports Illustrated for Kids, My Weekly Reader and Highlights for Children. The subscription fee covers the CD and the online updates, but you’ll still need to connect via your own Internet service provider.

KiddoNet (https://www.kiddonet.com) is a free kids browser that you can download and use to surf within a very limited portion of the Web. Although the product has its own unique environment, it requires you to have Microsoft’s Internet Explorer on your machine--in other words, it won’t work with Netscape Navigator. It’s mainly oriented toward kids ages 4 to 8, although there are a few activities that may appeal to older kids.

The browser has its own predetermined list of sites kids can visit, but parents (or their computer-savvy offspring) can add more sites. On the other hand, there are no filters, so it’s possible for someone to add a pornography site to the “my favorites” section of the program. The service also allows kids to build their own home pages, but they are approved by a human monitor before they’re posted on KiddoNet to be sure the kid doesn’t violate his or her privacy or anyone else’s rights.

SurfMonkey (https://www.surfmonkey.com) is another free kid-friendly browser with lots of links and activities. Like KiddoNet, it works alongside Internet Explorer, but it does have filters to keep kids away from inappropriate sites. It’s important to remember that this is a browser and not a general filtering program, so all bets are off if the child launches Netscape or Internet Explorer. The browser, which is aimed at 6- to 12-year-olds, features a guide, the eponymous “Surf Monkey,” who takes kids on a rocket ship tour of the Net. Using text-to-speech software, the monkey talks with the kids in a computer voice that seems to have a bit of a Swedish accent.

The program offers chat and e-mail services that are monitored, but unlike regular e-mail, parents can restrict those with whom the child can communicate. It’s a great way to let little ones exchange e-mail with friends and families while protecting them from the outside world.

If you need help finding good sites for kids, consider checking out the “Internet Kids and Family Yellow Pages” by Jean Armour Polly (Osborne McGraw Hill, $27.99). This 784-page guide, which includes a CD-ROM with direct links to sites in the book, takes you on a virtual tour of the parts of the Web that are fun and productive. The book is updated once a year, but the author’s Web site, https://www.netmom.com, is updated regularly and contains links to the 100 best sites from the book.

Another source of links and safety information is https://www.getnetwise.org, a site funded by the online industry that was launched last week. The site contains information about child protection tools, a glossary and lots of links to kid-appropriate Web sites. Full disclosure: I serve as an unpaid member of the site’s advisory board and was paid to write its online safety guide.

GetNetWise, along with my own sites, https://www.safekids.com and https://www.safeteens.com, list plenty of other tools, programs and resources to help parents guide their kids on the Internet.

But in the final analysis, the most powerful tools at your disposal are the ones you already have. They’re called “parenting skills.” Stay in close touch with your kids, be there when they stumble and let go when it’s time and, chances are, your kids’ Internet experience--like your kids themselves--will turn out just fine.

Lawrence J. Magid can be reached at larry.magid@latimes.com. His Web page is at https://www.larrysworld.com; on AOL, use keyword “LarryMagid.”