In the UK, over five million children use the Internet. Once online, they can enjoy thousands of educational and entertainment web- sites. They also join a vast community of other children linked by a worldwide network of computers. Children love the chance to 'chat', make new friends and contact people from different places and cultures - something they might be too shy to do in real life 'offline'.
But to keep them safe, your advice and supervision as a parent must cover use of the family computer. Just as you decide which TV programmes are best for your child, you should check out the websites and chatrooms that they wish to visit.
For all the wonderful opportunities going online offers, there are those who may use the Internet in ways you would consider offen- sive, or for purposes that are actually illegal. If children enter chat- rooms, they must be aware of the dangers. Remind them that although they have been chatting to online 'friends' for a long time, these people are really still strangers.
It is, of course, important to keep things in perspective. While chil- dren must be made aware of 'stranger danger', the number of known cases in which child sex offenders have approached chil- dren online is extremely low compared with the rapid growth in Internet use. However, reminding your family of these web-related risks may help keep them alert to the dangers they face in the real world, too.
Contact - from someone online who may wish to harm them. Children must relearn the 'stranger danger' rule and never give out personal details or meet anyone they have contacted via the Internet without a parent or guardian present. Older teenagers should always meet their new online friends with at least two of their trusted 'real life' friends.
Content - children accessing inappropriate things, such as content on pornography, racism and violence. Keep an eye on what your children are viewing and agree with them what kinds of websites they should visit and how they should behave.
Commercial - excessive marketing and advertising which might invade your child's privacy. Encourage your children not to fill out forms that ask for many personal details.
For a parent, it can be quite difficult to keep pace with a techie teenager. As computer studies are part of schoolwork, many of us are left lagging behind our children when it comes to understand- ing the latest gadgets and gizmos.
Internet chatrooms pose a special challenge, as chatters use a very fast text communication few of us understand. Sometimes, letters are used instead of whole words, such as LOL 'Lots Of Laughter' or ROTFL 'Rolls On The Floor Laughing'. It seems like another language, and it is, but as teens understand it, it's important that you try and learn some, too.
There are several different types of online 'chat': public and private chatrooms, instant messaging and live chat - here's more info. about the main ones.
If you enter the word 'chatrooms' into a search box online, you will discover how popular Internet chat is. Football chat, psychic chat, Christian chat, teen chat? just a few of the things you can chat about if you want to. Simply signing on will let you enter many chatrooms, while you need special software before you can join others. Many are public, with several people taking part in the conversation, others are private, offering one-to-one communication. Due to their secretive nature, it is in these private chatrooms that you should warn your children to take the most care.
Once you and your child have selected a chatroom, you will be asked to choose a password and a nickname, neither of which should identify your child. Once these have been entered, your child's text will appear on screen and their nickname in the guest list.
Although joining is simple, it may be worth sticking to sites that ask people to prove their age or sign up to a code of conduct. A good site will tell children what details they should not give, and some employ a 'moderator' - a person who stays in the chatroom to keep an eye on things.
Your child's new friends may seem to be at a safe distance, but remember that children could be tempted to take a 'friendship' made in a chatroom further. Explain that it's important that they don't give out their e-mail address or phone number to anyone without checking with you first. It's also a good idea to talk to children about what sort of messages they should send or receive.
This is software that shows you when your friends or family are using the Internet, and lets you contact them at once. It looks like a tiny 'pop-up' window with control buttons at the bottom. Instant messaging or 'IM' is faster than e-mail and easier than making a phone call, you can enjoy 'live' conversations, play online games with your buddies and much more.
Live chat is very similar to a chatroom except the distinct difference is that it allows you to put your questions to a celebrity or expert online without having group conversations. The BBC live chats are very safe indeed as all questions are filtered by a host before being selected and put to the guest - thousands of people may log on so you will not always get your question answered.
Over half the UK's population now owns a mobile phone, and being able to text is much of the fun. SMS (Short Message Service) lets you send and receive short text messages. You can also get information on football scores or the music charts.
Children love games consoles, and by connecting the PlayStation or Xbox to the family computer they can join other players online to battle it out. The next generation of games may also connect to the Internet so you can play and chat at the same time.
Many digital and cable Television channels now offer viewers the chance to chat while you are watching television, using a special keyboard.
Children love competitions, and many of those online look exciting. Get your child to check with you before entering, and make sure that the company organising the competition will not pass on their details to anyone else.
A lot of online marketing is targeted at children so make sure your children realise that online shopping still means spending money, and that bank or credit-card details must only be given out by you. If you have never heard of the company before, check that it is rep- utable before entering any details (is there a working phone number or address?) Report anything that seems dodgy to your In- ternet Service Provider, or your local police.
No website should collect information from a child under 12 without first checking - possibly by post - that you approve, and the company must also ask for permission if they plan to send these details to 'third parties'. It is your right to keep your own contact details and those of your children private.
It's great to get e-mail, but open it carefully, and don't open ones which have attachments unless you are sure who sent it.
One way to send computer viruses around is by attaching them to e-mails and, when opened they could start actions which would corrupt some of the information and software on your computer. Some of the viruses which have been in the news recently have even automatically copied people's e-mail address lists and sent the virus on to those listed.
If you have a virus-checking programme use it to 'clean' your com- puter every month or so. If you have a Broadband connection always install a 'firewall' programme which will permanently check for viruses while you are connected to the Internet.
And just as the postman brings us junk mail, our Internet 'in' boxes fill up with unwanted messages. 'Spam', as it is called, can be offensive and it is impossible to prevent it finding its way into your child's e-mail inbox.
One way round this is to set up two e-mail addresses for your children. Tell them to keep one private, only giving it to friends and to can use the other as a public address for when they go surfing or send e-mails. You can then check the public one and delete the spam before anyone opens it. This is the way you can make sure your own e-mail is protected from spam too.
Don't open these spam e-mail messages or reply as once the spammers know the address is in use they will forward your details to other spammers and the problem will get worse.
Don't be confused by the different types of chat - whether your children are chatting via the Internet, mobiles or the TV, the rules stay the same.
By discussing the potential dangers and also spending time online with your child, the risks are reduced, and chatting is great fun for all the family.
As we all know, simply telling a child not to do something is asking for trouble, but if children are going to surf safely education must begin at home. Good practice learned through parental advice and involvement will help to protect your child if they sign on at, for example, a friend's house, an Internet café, a library, or a youth club.
But if you do have any concerns, don't keep quiet. Reporting anything suspicious or abusive to your Internet Service Provider, the Internet Watch Foundation, or your local police will help to protect your child and also the many others who are eager to chat online.