Xtra Tips For Safer Surfing

New Zealand’s largest Internet Service Provider Xtra has outlined a list of safer surfing tips for parents to use when spending time with their children on the Internet.

Xtra Communications Specialist Mary Parker says Xtra promotes safe surfing via its Web site, xtra.co.nz, because it is inevitable that the Internet will play a large part in most of our children’s lives.

“They will probably already be using the Net at primary school, they will find it hard to avoid using it at college and by the time they get to university most students will find the Internet an essential research tool.”

“At Xtra we felt have developed some guidelines for parents who are keen to grow with their children online but may be a little unsure where to start.”

Ms Parker said that just as children are educated on how to cross roads and answer phones properly, they need some guidance when starting to use the Internet.

“The Internet is educational, informative, entertaining and innovative but, like anything that provides information, it has to be used properly,” she said.

Ms Parker said many parents find it fun and educational spending time with their kids online but parents who are just starting to get online might find some safer surfing tips useful for initial guidance until they get comfortable.

The Xtra tips for safer surfing are:

- Suggest to your children that being online is no different to when they are away from home in that they shouldn’t give our their personal details to people you don’t know - If possible, be around when your children are online - Tell them that if they are ever scared or unsure about anything on the Internet to find an adult and ask them what to do - It can be a good idea to place the computer in a public spot in the house so that there is always someone around to ask questions when they are online - With the really young ones send them to Web sites you have already checked out - Try to keep up with your children's online development. Be prepared to learn from them as well! A great way of achieving this is spending time together on the Internet.

Xtra understands parents may need a little help supervising their children so they have a package, the Xtra Value Pack, which allows families to connect and surf as much as they like.

All Xtra Value Pack customers also have a product called Cyber Patrol available to them. While physical supervision is the most effective way to ensure kids are safely surfing, Cyber Patrol can help supervise children’s time online when you’re not there. Cyber Patrol also helps parents supervise the amount of time their spend online, what Web sites are visited and information that may be being exchanged through cyber space. Once installed, Cyber Patrol is updated daily.

Information about Cyber Patrol and how to join the Xtra Value Pack are available from xtra.co.nz

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