Take Charge! - Smart Choices for Your Cox Digital Home

1. Create House Rules

Create simple, easy-to-read house rules about using the Internet and post them on or near the monitor. You and your kids can establish a family contract outlining your family's rules of acceptable Internet usage. And don't be afraid to enforce it!

2. Consider Using Security Software For Your Computers

Cox offers customers a security suite at no additional charge that includes parental controls, pop-up blocker, anti-spyware, anti-spam and firewalls. The Parental Control feature offers five age-based levels of blocking. Levels include:

• complete web blocking,
• access to only select websites for children eight and under,
• a medium-filtering selection for ages 9-12 that blocks web mail and chat functions,
• a low-filter option for teens, and
• an adult “no filter” option.

Parents can also get a daily web history report detailing when their children have been online. Click here for more information about Cox's parental controls.

3. Create Passwords

Internet accounts should be in your name, with parents having the primary screen name, controlling passwords, and using blocking and/or filtering devices. Children should not complete a profile for a service provider and should use only nondescript screen names that don't identify themselves as children.

4. Keep The Computers In The Family Room

Keep the computers in the family room or in other open areas. Be aware of any other computers your children might be using.

5. Don't Be Afraid To Ask

Frequently ask your children to show you what they can do online and visit their favorite sites and chat rooms. Limit chat room access to child-friendly sites. Know with whom your children are exchanging e-mails and chatting.

6. Talk About Chat Rooms

Talk with your children about never meeting a new online "friend" face-to-face. Be sure to spell out the specifics of allowed chat room behavior in your family contract!

7. Go Online Yourself

Select child-friendly search engines to assist your children in completing their homework. Cox has a list of these resources and other helpful links in the parents' section.

8. Talk About Spam

Explain to your children what spam is and caution your kids to never respond to commercial e-mail, or to open e-mail attachments from unknown senders. One key way to protect your e-mail accounts from spam is to refrain from responding to spam. Following a link and asking to opt out from future e-mails confirms to spammers that your e-mail address is active. Internet viruses are often spread via e-mail attachments. Instruct your kids to be very cautious about opening attachments and to never open attachments from anyone they don't know!

9. Watch Out For Dangerous E-mails

Talk to your children about not responding to offensive or dangerous e-mails, chat, or other communications. Report any such communication to your local law enforcement agency or to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website at www.cybertipline.com.

10. Talk About Music Downloading

If your children are music fans and enjoy accessing music online, be sure that they are getting their music from legitimate sources and not sharing copyrighted materials illegally. Making copyrighted materials available without authorization can lead to prosecution and bring steep financial penalties. The Recording Industry Association of America has a Web site that provides additional information on penalties. You may consider establishing an online allowance for your kids to purchase music legitimately online.

For additional information, please visit this site:

• NetSmartz – is a an interactive, educational safety resource created by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® and Boys & Girls Clubs of America that teaches children and teens how to stay safer on the Internet. The Web site combines the newest technologies available and the most current information to create high-impact educational activities that are well received by even the most tech-savvy kids. Visit http://www.netsmartz.org/ for NetSmartz's extensive resources for parents.