For years, Here and there, users have hurled privacy issue accusations against Facebook. They are demanding features that do not loosen the users’ privacy control. While Facebook is trying to improve users’ experience, problems have aroused concern regarding content sharing. In response to these issues, the company continuously tries to allow users win back their privacy. Some of these attempts were successful, but others have drawn even more protests.

Facebook has just announced that it will give users more privacy control over content. Users can expect that these features will be rolled out soon, and they will be given a chance to try them when they become available. The new privacy policies will generally make it a lot easier for users to understand exactly what people online will see about them and their posts.

Without much fuss, users can quickly know who can see all that they post. Users can also choose to block unwanted photos, and those items that are tagged by others if they don’t want them. Facebook expects that by changing some of the terms on the page, users will have less confusion. Most users used to think that “everyone” meant everyone on the social networking site, but it actually meant all people on the internet.

Users should be aware that whenever they go online, somebody is watching them. Big and small companies use updated technology just to be able to keep track of users’ internet activities. Users should also know that these companies do this tracking because of its commercial potential. Trackers watch which sites does a user visit, how long the user stays there, and what pages he or she visits during his or her stay. They are also interested in what kinds of posts users are interested in, and read any posts that they leave.

Tracking is done mainly with the help of HTTP cookies. These are little packets of information that save the user’s preferences. Cookies had been originally intended to improve a user’s browsing experience. With their preferences stored, users do not have to input their basic information, like username or password, every time they visit the same site.

The idea of using cookies to store private information has sparked privacy concerns, so browsers have provided options for users to decide whether or not they want cookies to be stored. A user can simply delete cookies whenever he or she does not need them anymore. In other words, users have absolute control over their private information.

Parents who have children with easy access to the internet should not only look at the downside of it. The good sides of the internet are far reaching when used properly. Actually, it can help their children achieve more in school. In fact, schools have started using this technology to improve learning in many ways. That is why parents should refrain from speaking badly of the internet without considering the benefits that it can give to their children.

A better way for parents to understand what is happening is to involve themselves with the internet activities of their children. On their own, parents can try some basic recommendations. Before anything else, they should teach themselves about the internet, or, better yet, learn about it from their children. When properly done, this can be an opportunity for bonding. This is important especially when it comes to teenagers, who are starting to seek independence. When parents are sincere in wanting to learn from their children, the experience becomes a boost to the child’s self esteem.

Such an experience, when repeated over a period of time, will develop trust. Internet safety rules can come in when parents sense the right time for them to talk about it. When that time would come depends a lot on the age level of the child. As parents, they should know when this would come about, as they know with other areas of their experiences. They should, however, try hard to make sure that the trust built between them and their children is neither broken nor compromised.

Many parents tend to alienate their children from the internet. Some of them say that this technology contains so much information that makes it difficult to control. Others reason that the internet steals so much time from all members of the family. Still others contend that it exposes children to people who are actually online predators.

They have a point, but technology is here to stay no matter how much we suppress or refuse it. The internet is a repository of unlimited resources for good information. As parents, alienating children from the digital world is sure to do more harm than good. Besides depriving them of the chance to gain from its benefits, it makes them become dangerously curious.

Parental control and guidance can make their children’s online experience as rewarding as any offline activity. What makes the internet a threat to children’s privacy is the absence of well-defined rules that both parents and children have agreed on. Add to this the fact that many parents need to educate themselves about the internet.

Synchronization of online safety rules at home and at school is very important. Children should not have the feeling that they are living in two different worlds, each expecting them to behave differently. Schools have taken the corrective steps in the enforcement of rules concerning online behavior because of the increasing number of behavior problems among students on the campus. As a prerequisite, parents should prepare their children for their new environment in school.

Children who have not been trained to follow internet rules at home will more likely break the rules at school. It is the role of parents to institute policies of their own at home so that children do not feel ill at ease or anxious when confronted with rules at school. It can be seen that the internet rules of all schools are not the same, but children who feel familiar with rules will most likely be obedient.

For several reasons, schools change their policies from time to time. It could be due to the reactions by parents, which could range from the rules being too lenient or too restrictive. It could also be due to the general conduct of children on the campus. This is very much shaped by the socio-economic situation of the families which these children come from. By and large, schools have to stick to the generally accepted norms of online behavior. Some schools lay down internet rules that are fixed and are never compromised.

Middle and high school officials are concerned by the increasing behavioral problems of a number of students. Many say that these are manifestations of children’s unlimited online activities, devoid of parental control. School authorities are seeking help from specialists who can solve the issue. They believe that it cannot be solved by only the school’s efforts. There must be a shared mission between the home and the school, where parents play a critical role. Because of this, some schools are in joint efforts with private organizations that teach parents about internet safety and media literacy.

Many schools realized that what used to be confined to children’s online behavior is no longer true. The truth is that online and offline behavior is no longer different. This could happen when one student harasses another student online. Its consequences will surely expand offline, and most probably on the school campus. This problem is then shouldered by the school administration. This kind of problem could have been prevented if parents did what they should have done. Children should have been taught internet literacy and safety at home by their parents. Unfortunately, only a few parents know enough to be capable of doing this.

Parents need to be educated when comes to the risks and dangers of the internet to children. A few of them set internet rules, but those rules are often unrealistic and inconsistent. Some believe that it is the school’s job. The usual reason for this misconception is that parents do not understand the technology. They would be happy just to know that their children are using Facebook, but they do not know how their children are using it. Some of the behavior problems that schools encounter today are rooted here.

Technology has significantly widened the communication gap between parents and children. As parents become busier with their jobs, more and more, children are becoming entangled in their online escapades. Children are left on their own to explore the digital world. More often than not, it is too late when parents discover that their children’s on line behavior is already compromised. Without the proper guidance and parental control, these children have not learned the basics of internet safety and media literacy. Their parents are supposed to be the ones who accomplish the task of educating their children, however, many children know more about the internet than do their parents.

This reality was recognized by one private non-profit organization, and it is now partnering with schools to provide workshops for parents. During PTA and other parent group meetings, this organization helps schools educate parents about internet safety and media literacy. Representatives of the organization bring with them gadgets such as Xboxes, PS3s and Windows or Mac machines. With these, they show parents exactly how parental controls are set. The organization believes that simply giving a user’s manual to parents would not help at all. Most parents are not tech savvy, so it would be a lot easier if they could see the actual step by step process. This gives the parents a first hand familiarity and sets aside the apprehension that most of them have with technology.

It is reported that now, many middle and high schools are challenged by online safety issues. The two most common are cyber bullying and “sexting”. Even though these are supposed to happen online only, these have already spilled out offline. This means that its effects are showing up even on the school campus, and are fast becoming a “school culture”. School authorities see this as an immediate concern, so they have sought the help of organizations who can speak to these children and their parents.

It is not easy to set rules on internet use for children when the parents themselves are not aware of the dangers of irresponsible internet use. Parents should first teach themselves about the internet’s benefits and dangers when it comes to their children. Through this education, they can appropriately set clear and doable rules for their children’s internet activities. It is a must that children are aware of the limits on the kinds of sites that they could visit, online etiquette, duration of internet use, information that can be shared online, etc.

All of my four children are frequently using the internet. I have three teenage girls, aged 14 to 18, who use it mainly for research and for social networking. The youngest, an 11-year old boy, enjoys playing games on social media sites. Their first exposure to the online community was about four or five years ago. That was when our family had, for the first time, access to the internet via dial-up. They were very curious at first, and then later, they discovered the benefits of doing research on line and the thrill of social networking.

It was to our family’s benefit that I was exposed to the internet before my children. It gave me enough knowledge about how to manage their online activities. I can say that the most difficult area of control among my children is for them to set limits on their time of use. As with a majority of children, social networking and online gaming can be addicting. Once they are hooked on these, it is very hard for them to stop.

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Before I knew about this technology, I did not care about leaving my “footprints” anywhere. This was probably the reason why I became a target of some people who meant harm, or wanted to steal my identity. Thanks to Private Proxy, I was able to go on with my job without the hassles. I learned that some proxy servers cannot totally hide you from prying eyes. Unscrupulous people can simply use an IP tracking software in order to identify you. With Private Proxy, my computer becomes untraceable because it is hidden from them.

I do not have to put up with very slow connections whenever I use Private Proxy. I can maximize the use of my time getting on with my purpose instead of wasting my time waiting for the page to load. There was a remarkable increase in speed even when attaching large files to the emails that I always send. Before, I used to get irritated when all of a sudden the connection got terminated. Besides losing so much data, there is so much wasted time. That all changed when I started using Private Proxy; I am now assured of high-speed and dependable connections.

I did not realize the value of Private Proxy until I became a blog writer. I learned how to use the internet some five or six years ago. At first, I was just curious about browsing different sites without any definite purpose. As a teacher, I discovered the benefits of the internet, also known as the information superhighway, as my resource center. After some time, email also became my major means of communication with my relatives and friends in other countries.

Lately, social media caught my attention. I had accounts with three major social networking sites and although I had already heard about privacy issues, I was not concerned. As usual, I happily provided some personal information. The social media experience was exciting. You can just imagine the thrill of connecting with everyone from virtually anywhere. I did not realize that I was already providing too much information about me on the internet.

I then had a chance to do some part-time online jobs. I have to write eight blogs every week about internet privacy issues, which I have to upload to four identified sites (two blogs in each site). This job gave me more opportunities to learn about internet privacy issues. There is online safety, identity theft, data breaches, online fraud, hacking, internet privacy, protecting personal information, and many more. But even then, I was not at all concerned about my own privacy.