By Evelyn Call of the Utah Child Protection Registry
Kids these days are growing up in an online world. Children as young as two are using tablets, mobile phones and computers and 63% of teen internet users are online every day. The online world is changing quickly and parents are struggling to keep up on what their kids are doing and who they are talking to. So, what can parents do to limit the negative messages their children are exposed to online?
This is where the Utah’s Child Protection Registry comes in. In 2005, the Utah State legislature voted to create a registry where parents can register their email addresses, cell phone numbers and instant messenger IDs to block adult advertising from targeting their family’s inboxes. Companies marketing products and services such as alcohol, tobacco, pornography, online gambling and illegal drugs will not be able to send their advertisements to Utahns who have opted out of such messages. Current spam filters direct this kind of content to a seperate inbox folder while the Utah Child Protection Registry takes it a step further and prevents you from ever receiving them in the first place.
Here’s what you do – log onto https://donotcontact.utah.gov and register the email addresses and cell phone numbers you want to protect and that’s it! The service is fast, easy and best of all, completely FREE.
The registry will not solve all of the problems faced by parents in this electronic age, but it will give families an extra layer of protection from harmful enticements. In an online world that is swiftly moving, isn’t it nice to know that at least your email and cell phones can be protected?