Casting the safety net

If TV has great power over children, imagine how they can be influenced by the internet, a medium in which they don't just passively watch but often interact with what's on screen or with other internet users.

That's why I like what Tara Paterson has to say about children and the internet: “Kids are smart on computers,'' she says.

“They can be looking at inappropriate images even when you're standing a few feet away.''

Finding solutions

As she points out, 7 out of 10 youths have been exposed to inappropriate content and 79 per cent of it is viewed while at home.

Paterson, a parenting coach, and I, agree that a lot of what we're doing right now to keep inappropriate material away from our kids isn't working.

When it comes to the internet, it means you need to know what you're talking about. Paterson tries to help parents understand what their kids are doing online.

But reducing access to violent or inappropriate images is only part of the solution.

Talking is key

Paterson believes that we need to talk to our children about what they might see or read on the web. If you don't, they will find someone else online who will.

Step 1: Talk to your child. You'll be surprised how open they are to listening to what you have to say.

Step 2: Parents have to learn what children can come across on the web. That means learning about social networking (Facebook, MySpace, etc), texting, IMing and other online activities.

It also means learning to look at a web browser's history, so you know where your child has been on the internet.

It also means being able to locate cookies (tiny files that are like passports to a website) that spell out what has been happening online.