AOL and the Family :: Web Internet Computers Essays

AOL and the Family The first things that usually come to mind when the American Online symbol is seen is the company’s slow connection, the tied up phone lines, instant messaging, and its monthly fees. Despite the many faults associated with the symbol, this, however, does not stop many from turning to the company’s services when a fast, protected, and reliable web surfing experience is required; And its mainly due to AOL’s commitment to providing services that appeal very much to the family unit. Although â€Å"family† is not usually the first thing that comes to mind when the symbol appears, it is the family oriented services and resources that people expect when dealing with the company in one form or the other. In addition to the other associations with the AOL symbol, the idea of â€Å"family† is another meaning that is closely connected with the symbol because America Online’s family oriented services and resources make it the most widely u sed Internet Service Provider (ISP) out there on the market today. One of the key aspects of a family unit is safety, more specifically, protection. Similar to the world, the Internet is not a safe place. There are many things out on the Internet that parents do not want their children to be exposed to, nor do they want to be exposed to the garbage that is floating around on the Internet. America Online is an ISP company that is protecting families and ensuring that they are not exposing themselves to some of the questionable information out on the Internet today. With resources such as AOL Neighborhood Watch, and AOL Keyword, families are able to receive information about protecting their password, avoiding computer viruses, and spotting frauds and schemes (Gau). In addition, children’s online safety is a primary concern of American Online. An American Online feature that permits parents to select the appropriate levels of online participation for their children is the Parental Controls, and it is used by a majority of AOL p arents to monitor their child‘s daily access to the Internet (Gau). Access to such important tools and features enables members and non-members that try out the company’s services for the first time, to perceive the AOL Company as a â€Å"family† company when the symbol appears on billboards, in magazines or in television commercials.