By Jeanne-Vida Douglas

Here's a test for you. Try asking your closest 14 year old to pass you the phone book. You know the p-h-o-n-e-b-o-o-k or directory, white or yellow pages. You remember, those great paper bricks unceremoniously dumped on your doorstep once a year by some local charity group.

Yeah, sure you know what I'm talking about, but you average 14 year-old doesn't, and I'm going to bet you don't know when you last opened one.  

Hmmm, a while back? Yeah, me too, in fact I have to admit I'm not even sure where they're kept in the office, and at home, well at least one is doubling up as a door stop, while I suspect others have already been sacrificed to line pet cages, as we've stopped buying newspapers.

And if you think about it for more than a nanosecond there's no reason why your average 14 year old ever should or ever will USE a phone book. That is unless something goes wrong - and you find yourself without internet access.

See, the pervasiveness of the internet presents us with two important challenges; the first is that we begin to take it for granted, and the second is that we underestimate how dangerous it can in fact be, especially for our kids.

Thanks to commitment to downloading anti-virus software, and deep suspicion of emails I've yet to experience a viral attack either at home or at work, (although I know a few who lost precious photos and files back in the days of the "Anna Kournikova" and "I love you" viral outbreaks).

I've had less luck with malware and spyware, which at one stage made my home computer virtually useless due to the non-stop influx of pop-up screens offering me a perverse array of corporal improvements.

So yeah, I've been lucky, and I've somehow fudged my way through the digital attacks, but the greatest test is yet to come, as my kids aren't yet quite tall enough to reach the keyboard, but are already obviously intrigued by the flashy box on Mum's desk.

Already we share some fantastic sites, like the Playground and Winged Sandals, and I'm keen to develop healthy web habits from an early age, which is why the Internet is something we share and discuss already.

See, cyberspace is a little like the real world, and cocky kids who think they know what they're doing can get into just as much trouble online as they can at the local shops, park or pub for that matter.

But in most cases they're still too young to get their way out of a tricky situation, and often too naive to recognize one in the first place.

Teaching your kids to surf safely is as mandatory these days to teaching them to cross the road, and explaining to them what information they can and can't share online is tantamount to the stranger-danger campaigns.

And unless you know what the dangers are, they've got little hope of spotting them.

Which is why I'm keenly watching the blogs we'll be running throughout National E-Security Awareness Week. But as well as the experts I'd love to hear from you about your own online experiences, how important is the internet to your daily life, work or schooling, and what are the key challenges you face in keeping kith and kindred safe online.

Ask questions, tell us your tips, or describe your experiences, and we'll get an expert panel onto the case to solve your problems, and respond to your queries. Let's face it, we all have an interest in creating a safer online experience at home, in our businesses and especially amongst our young people.

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Visit www.StaySmartOnline.gov.au for details and step by step information on e-security.