The question for me of late has been: How young should kids be given access to the internet?

For me I would imagine that a lot of people would consider the options of whether or not the computer has “parental controls” or web blocking software as opposed to just an open computer similar to how an adult would be set up. For me I prefer and also have my daughter set up with a regular Mac mini, without any special software or parental controls.

A little background here…and yes I am aware that there is stuff kids should not see online. My daughter is 5 years old and will be 6 in June, currently in Kindergarten and LOVES to use a computer. She has a Mac mini with a nice display, Apple Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Mighty Mouse. She also surfs using Firefox with her homepage set as Google and her own collection of bookmarks. She also uses (plays with) iCal, Text Edit and Tux Paint on a regular basis.

She is able to use Google to search for websites and things she wants to find and knows how to bookmark additional sites, we also let her come and go as she wants, limiting the computer time only when it gets late, but that goes not only for the computer but all toys in general. Basically speaking she has just as much access and her mother and myself. She has even figured out how to make notes of things advertised on TV and then either types in the name of the site or searches for things about the item such as the phone number given.

So here is the question: Am I right or wrong?

I really started to think about this lately, (not that I will change my mind and remove or limit her access), after checking out some of the sites she visits. Mostly kids type play sites, but they tend to be designed similar to p0rn sites. Yes I said it, it appears to me that a typical small, (ie: not Disney) kids site is similar to a p0rn site.

Let me explain, they tend to have content, mostly in the center of the page, with some crude navigation links on a side (left or right) and is FILLED to the brim with ads, most of which blink. There is also usually some Google Ads, which for the most part, get no attention, at least from my daughter. She generally goes after the banner or blinking ads and they can lead her to a variety of sites that I have found to include everything from advertisements for Internet access to more kids sites to stores to buy toys and other goodies that kids would like.

So yes I do check on her and pay attention to what she is doing while online, her computer sits on her table in the living room which is about 4 foot away from the couch where we sit and watch TV in the evening, but I am sure one day she will mistype a Google search and find something I would rather her not see, but I believe in not making a big deal of the little things and so far it has worked.

Thoughts, comments, criticism…