Lori Van Order – SLM521 – Summer 2003

 

Internet Filtering Elective

 

 

Pros

 

o     Internet filtering can ensure supervision over your child when he accesses the Internet, even when you are not there.

o     Browsers made for kids through Internet filtering don’t display inappropriate words or images on its pages.

o     Search engines for kids help to not only keep the search safer, but it helps to make it easier for kids to search and find sites that are interesting and entertaining to them.

o     It saves time, because the kids don’t have to weed through all the unwanted material they would have in a regular search engine.

o     Internet filtering can also block outgoing content, so that kids can’t send personal information out without knowing it.

o     Key word filtering can limit access to sites containing potentially inappropriate words.

o     Key word filtering also helps to prevent emails with inappropriate words in the subject from being sent through.

 

 

Cons

 

q      Internet filtering can interfere with searches for appropriate sites.

q      It may be hard to keep the filtered list updated, as hundreds of  new pages are created every day that need to be filtered.

q      Internet filtering doesn’t always help to filter language or material in chat areas.

q      Some programs won’t allow parents to override the filtering if they feel a certain site would be okay for their child to visit.

q      Internet filtering can also lead to the parents taking on a false sense of security—and it leaves the child unprepared to deal with exposure to inappropriate content when it does occur.

q      Increasing Internet filtering in the home could eventually lead to Government censorship of the Internet.