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There are some simple tools that you can use to avoid unwanted content on the internet which don’t need much ‘know how’. One of the best ways of avoiding unwanted content is to store a list of good websites that you are happy for your children to visit, using the bookmark function in your browser. This is particularly useful if you have younger children. The New to Computers section shows you how to do this. You will also find a list of great websites for different age groups in the Info Centre.

There are many search engines that you can use to find information on the internet and some are designed especially for children. The BBC offer such a service, as does Yahoo!—the Yahoo! site is called Yahooligans! If you have younger children, you could just make one of these sites into their home page, that’s the first page they will see when they turn on the internet. See the New to Computers section to find out how.

Some of the more popular search engines like Google and Yahoo! will give you the option to filter out more adult material before you start your search. Again, visit the Info Centre to find out more about safer and more effective searching on the internet.

If you want stricter content filtering, you can of course install a piece of filtering software, but it's worth checking to see if your internet service provider can offer you any extra filtering for spam and websites. Whilst filtering software is a good idea, especially if you have younger children, it’s important to remember that it’s never 100% effective. See the summary advice for a list of free and commercial filters.