The Internet can be a very dangerous place, especially for adolescents and young children. Without close adult supervision, children can easily stumble upon inappropriate web content that parents would rather them not see. Fortunately, parents don't have to sit and monitor children at all times. It is possible to block certain mature content so that children cannot access it.

To keep children from accessing mature content, parents will first want to talk to their kids about what is and is not acceptable Internet behavior. Also, place the family computer in a common area, instead of behind a closed door. If the computer can be seen by others, children are much less likely to use it to access adult materials.

The next step is to create a certain account that children can use on your PC. Only give children the password to this account to keep them from accessing the parent account. If each child wants their own account, it is possible to set one up for every child so they can personalize their account as they please.

As the administrator of these accounts, you will be able to set up parental controls. To do so, go to the 'Start' button, access the 'Control Panel', and select 'User Accounts'. Under 'User Accounts' will be a choice to set up 'Parental Controls'. From there you can limit a child's time spent on the computer, block websites, limit them to age appropriate materials, block certain keywords, and limit them from downloading programs. This will keep children from accessing mature content, as well as make them less likely to download a virus or spyware.

Certain web browsers, like Firefox, also give parents the option of setting up parental controls. Parents can configure these controls as a precaution to make sure that nothing slides by the controls on a child's account.