The Need for Guidance
The Internet has information on practically everything under the sun. But one can also easily find websites with undesirable material that go against our mores and values, or threaten the peace of a multi-racial multi-religious society like Singapore.
Children are especially impressionable and susceptible to all kinds of influences. We may encounter materials that are acceptable in foreign countries but not acceptable in Singapore. But Singapore has neither jurisdiction nor control over content put up in other countries.Thus, some guidance for children would be necessary.
External Censorship
External censorship means relying on other people to screen away websites for us. However, it is impossible to block every undesirable website.
Self-Censorship
Self-censorship involves the filtering of Internet content at one's own computer. This usually involves Internet filtering software. Automatic screening by keywords is problematic. A solution could be content labeling, which is a system of marking the type of contents a webpage may contain. An example is the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) system. Web browsers and filtering software that are compliant with this ICRA standard allow the user to customise their content filtering. Parents can thus use this feature to protect children from potentially harmful material. However, do not expect every content-provider to register their content for labeling.
Positive Approaches
There are also positive approaches you can take.
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Bookmark good websites.
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Encourage usage of search engines meant for children. You may want to set the starting page of the web-browser to one of these search tools. By pointing children to wholesome sites, you may instill in them a hunger for knowledge of the right kind and thus have less time for exploring unwholesome sites.
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Try to counsel your children. Explain to them why certain websites are not good for them and why others are good. This, hopefully, will help them exercise discernment on their own. |
The Final Analysis
It seems that a combination of negative and positive approach would be the best.
In the final analysis, as a parent or a teacher,
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you still have to know what your children or pupils are doing, however busy you are with other duties;
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your responsibility is to educate them by your counseling and advice.
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Copyright© 2006 ASKnLearn Pte Ltd.
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