The child you have your own computer? If they are above a certain age, I'd be surprised if you said that they didn't. It seems to me that in current times children see it as their right to be able to go on the Web in the privacy of your own space of parents and away from prying eyes. As computers have decreased in price that I think we, as parents are just as much guilt is oh so easy just to let them go with him in his room, leaving us with the same time. Most children start with the "look what I can do" stage where they want to show everything you can do on a computer, and then around age 11 or 12 move onto the stage "ALT + TAB" where everything they do is secret or hidden. It is then that "need" their own computers. So the question is do you know what your kids are doing online?
I know that my daughter loves completely 3 things about the internet. Only 3. Facebook, Bebo and MSN Messenger. If you have a girl with approximately 13 years of age I imagine that her daughter is the same. The problem is that some of these services are probably some of the most dangerous Internet activities that could enjoy our children. Bebo is known as the child's social network of choice (despite having a limit of age, we must not allow this to happen). If I know that children know that you can be sure that there are plenty of paedophiles who know that as well! If your child has a profile opened in Bebo, then they are revealing a lot of people and personal information at all. Birthdays, photos, likes, dislike everything open to everyone.An open profile means that the world can see it, not just your friends chosen. do you know if your child Bebo profile public or private, you know they are even share information in your profile?
What usually begins as a mutual leaving Bebo and comment "shares the luv" naturally develops a Messenger ID'S and then instant chat. I know this because I've seen it happen many times. Naturally 99.9% of time is just normal informal chats between true friends, but then there's the time when this is not the case. I had my daughter down as someone with oodles of common sense, far beyond his years. This was until I came across a report that showed a chat that she had with a boy of 18 years that she never met. She is 12 by path. What seems harmless chat to their flags each warning can enroll me as an adult.She was told no doubt to remove that contact and never talk to them again may…this is just a real world example that I know about because I keep an eye on the usage of my daughter's computer. I could go on and on the number of friends who are as young as 9 and have public profiles with names like Bebo sexygalxx etc etc I wonder if the parents know?
The dangers in Facebook is quite similar. Privacy settings convouted Facebook was the subject of much debate and descussions last year.While most children are very computer savvy, you have to ensure that your child is educated enough to apply the privacy settings to your profile that will protect them against some of the unwanted elemetns that frequent this site. Yes, this means that you may have to spend time and sit with them.If you can agree with your child about why thes esettings are neccessary, specific to their profiles, that you will not only improve your own mind poeaceof, you also get the buy-in that comes only to understand the risks of child's side.Remember to revisit these settings frequently (in leather as often as Facebook changes the way it works!) to ensure that it still offers the protection desired.
All this may sound very alarmist, but I don't see it that way, only sees it as being a responsible father. If my daughter was playing out I would like to know who she was playing with, when she is using the computer sees it as part of my duty to care for it that is trying to talk to her for what she is talking to and more important. leave them to it with blind faith that everything will be OK or monitor, what to do?
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