Box 14.2 An Illustrative "Best Practices" Scenario for the Home In a "best practices" scenario focused on the home, parents provide instruction and supervision about Internet use. In particular, computers would be located in public family areas rather than in rooms that are conducive to private use (e.g., a child's bedroom). Parents would have gone beyond their work experiences with the Internet and learned about the materials and experiences to which their children might plausibly be exposed, keeping in perspective a balance of the Internet's positive and negative aspects. For example, they would have spent some time sitting by their children's sides surfing the Internet or exploring their online service with them. They would have educated themselves about appropriate and useful Web sites and consulted their children's teachers about how Internet use could support their children's education. They would also have spent time without children in attendance surfing the Web so that they could experience first-hand some of the "not-so-desirable" content in instant messages and chat rooms and on Web sites. They would have talked with their children about both the benefits and the dangers of the Internet, and provided clear guidance about what material and activities were inappropriate and explanations for what made them inappropriate. They would ask their children to report any experiences that made them (the children) feel uncomfortable or in which they encountered an inappropriate experience or unsuitable material, and promise to refrain from being upset with their children should such happen. They would also keep that promise, and when their children reported inappropriate material or experiences, they would counsel rather than punish them. Parents would also set time limits for how much time a child may spend online. When time is constrained, people are more likely to concentrate on the activities that they value most highly. To the extent that children seek out inappropriate material out of idle curiosity, these are the activities that are most likely to be curtailed in the presence of time limits. Parents would be willing to learn about technology from their children and would not feel awkward about asking their children technology-related questions. Furthermore, older and more experienced siblings would be encouraged to supervise, encourage, and guide younger siblings.