I've got a 10 year old son who claims he's the 'only kid in the WORLD who is not allowed to IM'. He says that his friends use AIM and AIM express. I know very little about IMing but I do know that the IM applications are sometimes used as an entry for spyware and, I guess, viral attacks. I just wanted to know if this is true and if there are some safeguards that I should take (other than the usual anti-spyware and virus scans) while the IM application is in use. Also, is one application better than another.

<<<I'm not concerned about my son's 'well-being' while online. My wife and I are very cautious and our 'family' computer is in the middle of our living room. Also, he's going to be limited to about 10 minutes a day.>>>>

I'm really just concerned about our 'family' computer's well-being!

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

thanks

adam