Searching
Over the wordl everyone at some points uses search engines whether it is Google, Yahoo or BIng. Having the interenet to search things can be useful but we must be alerted of the dangers whether it is innapropriate, potentially harmful or even illegal.
Top Tips
Top Tips
- Do some searching yourself. Test a few ‘innocent’ words and see what comes up. This is a good way to check your computer settings and ensure inappropriate content is being filtered out.
- Talk to your child about being as accurate as possible when searching – the more words you use the more relevant the search results will be.
- Remind children that not all information held on the internet is reliable. You must not believe everything you read!
- Know the difference between ‘automated search results’ and ‘sponsored links’ which are results that are paid for. Search providers will differentiate between the two and it is important you can tell the difference.
- Take the time to get to know the search provider you and your children use. Have a look at their safety advice and research their filtering processes.
- Consider installing filtering software onto the computer to help protect your child from inappropriate / harmful content.
- There are some search providers designed for children – www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/search is one such site, http://kids.yahoo.com/search is another. See also our Useful Links section.
- If you come across inappropriate or harmful material – report it to the authorities. Find out more about reporting content in our Useful Links section.