Broadcast Overview 
The online community created by the Information Age offers children and teens unparalleled educational and recreational opportunities.  Industry experts estimate that more than 10 million children currently go online and, by year 2002, 45 million children will use cyberspace to talk with friends, complete homework assignments, or explore the universe.  While children are a mouse-click away from our greatest libraries, museums, and universities, they are also a click away from abusive language, inappropriate material, and in the worst cases, manipulation and exploitation.

The decision about how to address the issue of Internet safety for children is an important and complicated one for parents and educators.  This mix of risk and opportunity creates fundamental questions for a society predicated on free speech and equal opportunity.  How can parents and educators balance safety concerns while encouraging children to participate in the full measure of the Internet’s education and recreational opportunties?  Who is responsible for children’s safety on the Information Highway?  And what role should government play?
 

• Raise awareness regarding the online dangers of the Internet and encourage the development of safe online practices;
• Discuss the principles and policy implications for parents and educators;
• Provide strategies that parents, educators, and others can implement to protect children from the hidden dangers of the Internet. 

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