subject: Tulsa Moms, CSI [print this page] Can children be safe on the Internet 100% of the time?
That mostly depends on you, the parent.. Read these four tips, and try them for a few weeks, if you do not feel your child is safer, return to what you use now to enhance safety:
1)The best filter is you
We all look for those 100% guaranteed internet URL filters that make sure our children see only appropriate material. Lot of problems with those, the first is they do not exist. If you want to make sure they only view appropriate material then youre going to need to sit with them while they browse. I know its difficult, but this is where you get the 100%.
2)The opportunity to develop trust
One of the ways you can develop, or enhance a mutual trusting relationship is to allow your child to browse internet sites without a parent standing over their shoulder. Set up guidelines. An example is, they can visit new sites if they tell you beforehand. If they can accomplish this, then they have earned your trust, and they feel trusted. You can check the history of visited sites very easily, and you should. Just do it when they are not around so that trust stays intact.
3)Control the password
Make sure you know all of the passwords, which includes every site that requires one. This allows you to not only control content, but also the amount of time spent on the computer. Remember its not that you dont trust your kids, it means youre an involved parent. The older they get the MORE beneficial this practice becomes.
4)Social Media Challenge
The question of children under 16 using social media is debatable. Our position is that we are against it. In fact, we even question whether kids 16-21 should be allowed to use social media, but with education implementing social media assignments and practical use, its hard to do. As a former school principal, I was forced to deal with more at home, negative incidents that made their way to school due to social media, and unengaged parents. However, that is not the main reason I would suggest the elimination of Social Media for children under 16. The main reason is the amount of damage that potentially can be done FAR outweigh any perceived benefit. You may have the most well intentioned 11 year old in the world, but children developmentally always have one dominant thought in mind, and that is they cannot wait to be older. The social media sites not only allow this, they promote it, and they encourage individuals to be creative, which, for young adolescents usually means to be dishonest. You can find many columnists who promote the use of social media among kids. They will fill the blogs with all its great uses, and then, turn out to be sponsored by the sites. We use research data that has not been manipulated.
