Schools teach computer and Internet literacy among children as early as their pre-elementary years. Your child is well-versed about getting information from websites and surfing the net. You, on the other hand, struggle to create your own e-mail account. When a child is surfing the worldwide web, he/she is exposed to a wide array of knowledge and information.
There is a downside though. Your child can also come across sites that have sex and pornographic materials as well as images depicting violence and cruelty. One click here and there and your child could get close to these harmful websites. Some sites state that you must be over 18 years old to view videos and photos. Funny thing is that one can easily create an account using a different date of birth. No authentication is necessary.
Your child is also in his/her experimental stage. Everything is new and most of the time, curiosity gets the better of them. Some naughty classmates could even pressure your child to visit such websites. The potential exposure of your child to these worldly materials poses grave danger to your child if left unchecked. News reports that exposure to improper sexual behaviors, violence and pornographic materials can result to unwanted pregnancy, rape cases and violence among children. Chats and instant messaging also lead to meeting strangers without parental consent.
How do we then protect our child from these potential harms? Here is a list of helpful things you can do to check out what your child is doing in the computer.
- Educate yourself with the ins and outs of the internet. This way, you can better conclude that your child is looking into harmful websites.
- Place your computer in a place where family members usually gather. (e.g. living room, master bedroom, or entertainment room) Never put the computer in your child’s bedroom.
- Check the history of your child’s visited websites.
- Find ways to access you child’s email accounts and social network sites. It depends on you whether to ask your child directly or provide a password detecting device. Be firm and honest about your intention and make sure that they understand your reasons.
- Monitor your child’s schedules. Make sure that you know where, when and who will be your child’s company. A word of caution, do not be too strict just because you are worried. It may cause even more problems if you go overboard.
- Set a limit on the number of hours your child can surf on the internet. A maximum of 3-4 hours is justifiable especially if your child has a lot of schoolwork to submit.
- Keep an open communication line with your children. This is most important. Let them know that they can share anything with you. If you react negatively with their remarks, you risk pushing them away. They would most likely keep secrets from you. Listening has time and time again proven itself to nurture relationships. Better be proactive than reactive.
So what are you waiting for? Sit down with your child and communicate like you never did before. Good luck!
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