Have The Talk With Your Children!
Not about the birds and the bees but
about being online –safely!
We've come a long way since the 60s'
parenting scare tactic-
"It's
10:00 pm. Do you know where your children are?"
The reality is that you're probably
very trusting of your children if they have their own computer, have the ability
to post videos on YouTube, photos of the
party they attended Saturday night on Facebook or surfing almost any internet
site.
While the Internet has its substantial
benefits of being educational and entertaining as well as a source for any inquiry,
there are also a lot of troublesome situations your children could encounter
online.
Firstly, remind your children that
anything they put up on the Internet is public and could have serious
consequences in the near and far future, potentially costing them their dream
job or an athletic sponsorship. Future employers
do google you.
More and more employers are using
social media profiles as part of their decision process when hiring (sites like
Facebook, Myspace, Linkedin)." These sites are definitely an easy gateway
for online predators to communicate with children under a pseudonym and
fabricated profile.
A serious and real online concern is
cyber bullying. Children have the opportunity to anonymously embarrass or
threaten a classmate on the Internet. If you find out that your child is a
victim of a cyber bully, keep a record
of everything that was said, because it could be helpful when the child feels
comfortable enough to speak to an adult about it.
Parents should also ensure that they
"don't overreact if their children have a negative experience online
(research has shown that youth often don't report being the victims of cyber
bullying because they're afraid their parents will cut off their Internet
access)," says Matthew Johnson, (Media Awareness Network).
This is an electronically tethered
society and like it or not, it is here to stay.
We just need to be vigilant, cautious and educated about the dangers it
poses.
