Yellowknife (Oct 29/04) - Parents must find a way to keep track of what their children are doing online, whether or not they have any personal interest or understanding of computer technology.

Ann Taylor, with the Media Awareness Network (MNet), was in town recently to offer some tips on the topic of Parenting the 'net Generation.

"How can kids know what's true and what's not on the Internet? How can they know if they're being informed, entertained or marketed to?"

One Yellowknife father, who didn't want to be named, said he wanted to find out more about the Internet because his 10-year-old daughter had just started going online.

"She's already doing the dress-up Barbie thing," he said. "I just want to know how to protect her."

MNet is a not-for-profit organization that deals with young people's use of media, especially the Internet. A 2001 survey indicated parents didn't know what their kids are doing online.

Fifteen per cent of Canadian children said they had met in person someone they first got acquainted with online. Only two per cent of parents said their children had gone to meet online friends.

Taylor said it's important for parents to discuss with their children what they might find online.

Naturally, safety is usually a parent's first concern and kids don't always understand why they shouldn't share personal information on the web. Parents need to explain why.

"Here's an item for discussion: When does someone stop being a stranger online?" Taylor suggested.

She said that, in a recent MNet survey, young girls were asked how long it would take for them to trust someone they met in a chat room. The answers ranged from 15 minutes to two weeks.

Parents also have to worry about their children accessing pornography or hate sites, intentionally or not.

"Kids are so agile at getting around the Internet but they don't have the life experience or the judgement," said Taylor. "You've got to be there and talk to them and not blame them."