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In real life we would do everything to keep our children safe and secure. So when it comes to internet why should it be any different? For, the chance of getting hurt here, even becoming victim of online predators is very real. So ensuring your child’s safety on the internet should be on your top priority list.
The world and internet is changing at such a fast pace. The technology getting more and more advanced. Internet has long gone beyond desktop PC to mobile devices. It is a great way to keep in touch and be up to date. It is quite common to see kids with some cool gadgets accessing the internet on the go.
Kids and teens just loves interacting via the social media network on the net. Here they create their profile and might post personal information including photos and videos which is a ‘cool’ activity for them. All these are done quite innocently not knowing that there are online predators around just waiting to attack at the right time. Your child’s innocent activities online might compromise their very safety on the internet.
The fact is that there is a dark side of the internet which you as parents need to know so as to be prepared to ensure your child’s safety on the internet.
You need to be aware of the existence of the following social networking areas where your child can fall into the danger zone.
- Making new friends online is so cool and easy, and so does creating false identities by online predators.
- Cyberbullying, and how this scars for life, even led some kids to end their life.
- How sexting, a relatively new term related to sexually suggestive messaging, is being practiced now.
- Posting or uploading photos and videos online poses increased risks and dangers.
- Than there are bad online content everywhere, which could be easily stumbled upon by your child.
- Teens and Mobile Phones, how this could effect their safety on the internet.
- Too much internet and there is the risk of internet addiction, which is like any other addiction, according to studies.
- Kids and Online Commerce, yes, kids have their hands in this area too.
- Online reputation is very real, which can be at stake as a result of careless activities online.
Your child, kids and teens are precious, the future belongs to them, and being scarred now will haunt them for a lifetime. You can’t afford to let that happen, you must ensure their safety on the internet. Their experiences during childhood years is what is going to shape them for the future.
If you have been on the internet regularly you might have come across the term Social Networking Media. It has become very important to become well acquainted with this and learn everything, as this is what both kids and online predators use! Hence the direct connection to safety on the internet. Knowledge is key here.
Of particular interest and the favorites of many is MySpace, so it is worth discussing about MySpace. Most of the high school and also junior high school students simply loves social networking sites, especially MySpace. This obviously is used to stay in touch and interact with friends, also make new friends online, which is actually the cause for concern, as we will come to see shortly.
Continuing on the discussion of online friends, internet makes it very easy to create assumed identities online. In fact this kind of identity is what online predators assumes. Your kid or teen’s seemingly friendly online friend might actually be a man or woman of 50 years of age. online predators will appear very friendly and interesting making it easier on children to reveal personal information like address, phone numbers over a period of time. The whole safety on the internet is compromised.
Knowledge is key here, particularly about the dos&donts when it comes to social networking websites. Your child must know the dangers that lurks on social networking sites, and they’ll be able to avoid doing anything which will compromise their safety on the internet.
Whatever your child posts online can be visible to anyone. Hence it is very important that your child’s online profile be set to ‘private’. This way only accepted friends will be able to view the posts. If the profile is public, and say your child uploads a photo of last summer’s pool party, next a child predator might be viewing at the photo with keen interest planning for the next move.
The best place for online predators to haunt looking for ‘targets’ is of course social networking sites where safety on the internet might have vulnerable spots, and their intentions won’t be obvious most of the times until it is too late. Online predator’s profile would probably be far more ‘attractive’ than most others so as to attract innocent friends.
It was discovered that kids uploads photos and videos online thinking that it is cool and they won’t be found out. Now school authorities and police are also frequenting social networking websites checking for illegal or underage activities visual contents. It has been in the news that some contents were traced back to some kids and they were suspended.
The whole point is not that social networking sites are bad, but to create awareness of the use of it by both kids and online predators hence the direct connection to safety on the internet.
As a parent of a teenager who uses the internet frequently, have you really sat down and talked with your teen and discussed about issues related to safety on the internet? If not, it is high time to do so, for your teen is exposed to risks online. If one doesn’t know the dos&donts, the internet indeed can be a dangerous place.
The best way to get across your message about safety on the internet to your child or teen is of course, building up your relationship to a point where your teen confides and relies on you for any advice and guidance. Of course this takes time but it makes the tasks so much easier and effective.
Well, you need to get across the message now as you cannot afford to delay the matter further, as your child is at risks and their safety on the internet cannot be compromised. Bringing up the subject can be rather hard, as teens may take it in another sense, like, that you are being suspicious of their activities online, and drive them away.
First of all you do want to appear as an overprotective, overbearing parent, for this might drive him away. Do not start lecturing right away on the topic of safety on the internet to your teen, but rather start the discussion by asking them if they would advice you on the areas of safety on the internet, like starting the discussion with how ‘cool’ social network media like MySpace is . Let them think that they are the expert being consulted with. This way it should open up the conversation for further sharing of ideas in the area of safety on the internet, which you of course are ready with.
You will sometime come across news stories on TV, web etc. It would be useful to share and discuss the news or stories with your teen. You could sit down with your teen in front of the computer and browse through the stories online while at the same time discussing about what could have been done in the prevention of the the particular case happening. This would also instill a sense of fear and that of caution too.
There has been cases of kids who has been suspended from school due to underage activities like drinking, smoking, who actually were not caught red handed but their photos found online by the authorities. Some kids think it is ‘cool’ to upload such photos and videos online to MySpace not knowing the consequences. If you can find such specific stories on the web, go through it with your teens again discussing what would have been the proper steps and precautions.
Make sure you discuss with your teen about the ‘online friends‘. How assuming or creating identities is so very easy, which is assumed by online predators. The whole point is, teens resent being lectured upon, so the next best way is to let them actively participate in the discussions, make them feel that their opinion is counted, that they are listened to.
Encourage your teen to share and discuss with you topics on the area of safety on the internet.
