The internet is a fantastic learning tool. Youngsters nowadays have vast knowledge, literally at their fingertips. The dissemination of information has reached the point where one can literally learn about any topic they could possibly imagine; at the simple click of a button.

While many might think that the information available is limited to established information troves, such as NASA, the Vatican library site, Wikipedia and many others; the internet goes much, much deeper.

The advent of Google docs has revolutionised the way information is stored, shared and disseminated online. Google also has scientific listings in its knowledge database which allows the sharing of technical documents related to anything from cancer research to producing methane from cow-dung. It truly is a modern marvel and will probably one day be given the title of ‘World Wonder’.

But as much as the internet is an amazing tool, it can be a dangerous weapon. We recently heard that up to 91% of Maltese internet connections are protected by anti-virus scanning software. But out of those, only 9% use some form of parental filter. These filters allow parents to restrict access to, for example, porn sites and certain chat rooms. Of course, the internet will always be what it is. Pop-ups for gender enhancement and sexy women will always invade our desktops. But parents should educate themselves and learn what they can do to at least filter out the worst content – such as dedicated porn sites.

But again, the internet is so vast. It has been used to plot terrorist attempts, to forge suicide pacts, to exchange information about ‘feeding’ anorexic habits and more. Parents can never hope to shield their children from all this. As much as it is a goldmine, the internet is a minefield.

Apart from porn sites, parents should also be aware of chat rooms. We know it happens elsewhere, we have seen stings. We know that paedophiles scour internet chatrooms the world over to groom victims, or lure them to meetings with promises of presents or a paid-for day out. We should never assume that this does not happen in Malta – or at least its virtual environs.

Ignorance may be regarded as bliss, but when there are threats to our children’s wellbeing, then we cannot afford to remain so. Parents must do their utmost to learn as much as they can about the internet and how to use it. Only in that way will they be able to keep proper tabs on what their children are really up to while online.