User activity reports provide a summary of user activity. You can view the report for any user at any time, and you can review a child’s computer activity by following these steps (I am explaining Windows Parental Controls Using Windows Live:
- Navigate to the Windows Live Family Safety Web site.
- Log in with your Windows Live account and then click the icon beside the user whose reports you want to view.
- Click the Activity Reporting link (See Screen Shot Below).
- In the Web activity tab, choose the range of dates you want to view and click Refresh. By default, the site shows the previous seven days of activity.
- Click the Other Internet activity tab to view reports for the child’s other Internet activity.
Screen Shot: Viewing an activity report.
Technical approaches to online safety, such as parental controls, are a good thing. But they cannot cover all possible risks. Kids like to get involved with instant messaging and chats in which people aren’t always who they claim to be.
Children should be taught some basic ground rules. For example, children should never give out personal information, such as where they live or go to school. If anything makes them feel uncomfortable, they should report it to their parents. They should never agree to meet with anyone.
As a parent, you have many online resources for sharing your concerns with others and getting advice.
You don’t need to be a technical whiz to take advantage of these sites. Here are some you might want to add to your Favorites:
- Safe Kids: www.safekids.com
- Child Safety: www.microsoft.com/athome/security/children
- CyberAngels: www.cyberangels.org/
- GetNetWise: www.getnetwise.org/
