Online Safety and
Media Sobriety Manual

For Parents

www.safefamilies.org

About this Manual, TechMission, and Safe Families
Safe Families is a program of TechMission, Inc. that was formed to assist parents in protecting their children from pornography and other dangers on the Internet.  TechMission started in 2000 with its first program, the Association of Christian Community Computer Centers (AC4) with the goal addressing the digital divide, which is the gap between those who have access and training with computers and those without.  AC4 is the largest association of faith-based community computer centers in the world with over 500 member serving over 50,000 individuals each year.  As AC4 assisted in getting people across the digital divide, it became clear that it was one thing to get people across the digital divide, but it was another thing to get them across safely.  Our vision for AC4 is "Computer Skills to Make a Living—A Spiritual Foundation to Make a Life."  With many low-income families buying their first computer second-hand for $50, it is not reasonable to expect them to pay another $50 for Internet filtering software.  Because of this, Safe Families has committed to distributing over 100,000 copies of free Internet filtering software in the next year. 

As we move into the information age, society is experiencing changes unlike ever before.  We believe that it is important for all individuals to take an active role in addressing the social issues of the information age (like the digital divide) as well as the moral issues (like online safety and media sobriety).  For those who have not crossed the digital divide, we believe it is a social and moral imperative that they cross the divide, so that they can adequately protect their children online and compete in the information economy.  For those who have become information and computer literate, we believe that it is a m