Children are heavily involved with technology at a much younger age now and parents need to be involved with their child’s involvement on the Internet. I remember growing up as a child, we didn’t have the technology that is around today, I had a gaming system and a walkman. Kids today have cell phones(some with Internet access), iPods, computers, laptops, e-readers, tablets, and so many other devices that connect to the Internet or their friends. As a parent, it is my job and responsibility to protect my child from the dangers on the Internet. I also understand the importance of teaching my children how to properly use the Internet/social media so that when they are adults they have an understanding of the benefits and dangers that the Internet poses.
Disclosure: The opinions reflected in this post are my own and may differ from your opinions.
The Internet Has Made Research Easier
The Internet allows children to perform research for their school projects at home. Even with school projects, children must be taught how to properly use other people’s ideas and quotes so that the original author is given proper credit for their work. I remember that I had to go to the library and spend hours finding information for school research papers, the Internet gives kids the opportunity to research at home using the family computer. Plagiarism can get a child in major trouble; however, this was an issue even without the Internet.
Find Additional Resources to Help With Concepts that You Don’t Understand in Class
The Internet is great for finding examples of concepts or lessons that a student may be struggling with at school. Ask your child’s teacher for a list of trusted websites that can assist students with their classwork. Often times, the teacher has additional resources available if they ask for help. This will keep you from searching and wasting time trying to find a reputable site.
Do You Allow Your Child To Use The Computer Freely?
Many parents are allowing their children to use the computer unattended. Personally, I think this is a very bad idea. If you aren’t watching your child, they could easily create accounts on social media tools such as Facebook, download illegal music or movies, or find other inappropriate content that is not suitable for young eyes. It is possible for inappropriate content to appear in the search results for a search term that is appropriate for a younger child.
32 comments
Funny, I always think how lucky kids are today to have the internet for researching tools but never thought about the likelihood of them using those tools in a negative way as you mention below. Very good point!
I didn’t have the Internet when I was growing up, only those Bulletin Board Systems. I am telling my age now. 😉
Great post! I teach 5th grade, and these are some of the points I try and teach both my students AND their parents.
Amanda this is very important since most parents may not realize the dangers, thank you so much for your dedication as a teacher.
Really solid advice! I totally agree that children over 13 still need boundaries and should have parental involvement, including an open dialogue.
Yes, they do need boundaries and most parents don’t realize that kids that age thrive off of boundaries and parental involvement.
So funny. Until the internet became more of the go-to resource, it was the encyclopedia.
Great article. It’s terrifying to think of the things going on. Bullying, abductions, people pretending to be someone else — with everything happening online, it’s definitely best to keep kids educated, and while they’re under a certain age — supervised.
Yes, it is very scary and the topics you mentioned are real and really do happen. Hey Rhonda there is your next idea for you a new book. *wink* *wink*
Excellent post. Unless you educate your children, have rules which you enforce it may be difficult for you to control what happens on the internet. The part of the brain that is used for reasoning isn’t developed until about the age of 21… therefore it’s important to become part of and remain part of your child’s internet experience.
I agree Meli, kids are very tech savvy and don’t know what life was like without it. It is necessary to set boundaries with your children.
All great points. My son has been on sm since he was 14 and he’s 18 now. We monitored everything!!!
That is awesome Don, thank you for sharing.
these days there are so many new things popping up–as a parent really have to stay on top of things—I’m ALWAYS checking on what my kids are doing.
Yes technology is constantly changing and evolving. Some how kids usually find out about new social media tools before we do.
My are grown now and it wasn’t as common as it is now. These are tough decisions to make now.
Yes they are very touch decisions, thank you for sharing Jim.
It is a scary world out there. don’t know what it will be like when my grandchildren get of age…
I understand Terry I have a 16, 12, and 2 year old. I bet things will be different when my 2 year old is able to use the computer too.
You must monitor your kids on the Internet
I agree Dov, thank you for sharing.
I’m so glad my step-daughters got old enough before social media really hit. It just makes parenting tougher in my opinion.
I agree Courtney, thank you for sharing.
Great info for parents! Kids seem to be using technology and getting into social media at younger and younger ages! So important for parents monitor their childrens behavior when it comes to being online/on social media outlets!
Yes my daughter tried to create a facebook account before we allowed her too. We wanted to explain the rules before we allowed her to have an account.
Completely agree. Just because a child has the technical aptitude to use a social media platform doesn’t mean they have the maturity for it or are aware of the dangers and drawbacks.
So true Katrina. Thank you for sharing.
It scares me that everything is so accessible. Seems even if we try to shelter our children from certain things, they would definitely find out in such a short time just from the internet. Great post and a really important subject to take into consideration!
The internet is such an amazing thing but with it comes great responsibility. I agree children should be supervised and even children over 13 should not have free access. I do not believe in computers in children’s rooms. They should be using the computer in full view of parents eyes. Thanks for a great article.
This HAS to be one of the great challenges for parents today. So, so true: the technology is great, but the risk is even greater because of the degree of damage that can be done!
Yes, kids don’t realize that what they say now can affect them for years to come. Especially, when it is time to get a job or go to a university.
The internet is a valuable tool but also a very dangerous place even for adults. get the sneezes, you google and you have cancer…so many dangers really! Great tips!!
My oldest son is 12. I just got him a cellphone last year because he actually had a knife pulled on him on his way home from school and had to run over a mile home to get help. That scared me more than my apprehension about getting him a cell phone. Even with the cell phone I do weekly check on his cell phone to make sure there are no inapproriate texts, searches, emails, etc from anyone. I check his call logs and everything. we’re taking the step to get my oldest boys a computer for Christmas as their needs have been growing for researching and typing up papers. It’s going in a common room and there will be rules and supervision