Protecting Children Who Text
Children must know the potential dangers of Instant Messaging to understand why they need to be cautious about how they use it. Set up rules for Instant Messaging and explain the reason for each rule to your child. Remember, while you can monitor the family computer's use at home, keep in mind that kids have access to the Internet in a variety of other places ΓÇô at the homes of friends, at school, at public libraries, etc.
(Though this guide was designed for computer texting, a number of the tips here can apply to cell phone texting as well.)
You can protect your child by:
Setting limits for the use of IM.
No IM during homework time ΓÇô IM can have a negative effect on grades and facilitates cheating.
No late-night IMs. Fewer children are online late at night.
Place a time limit on the use of IM.
Reviewing his or her IM profile.
The profile should contain no personal information. That means no real names, no age, no photos, no telephone numbers, no address ΓÇô nothing that can identify your child for an Internet predator. The profile should not link to a Website. The IM screen name should not be the child's real name.