Online Content

Children can learn many things from the internet. But unlimited access to the web has many potential downsides, too. Children are clever and also learn from friends about the excitement of violent games or movies and even sexual material that is arousing but may not convey healthy sexual attitudes. As a parent you cannot observe everything your child sees or does using media. There are some things you can do to give them healthier experiences, however. The best approach is to assure that internet use is done in a "public" area of the home so adults can monitor what is watched. You can set parental controls, but these are imperfect protection. Making sure you talk with your children about their experiences online using open ended questions such as "What did you think about what you saw?" makes an opening for discussion. One danger you may have heard about is adults pretending to be children in online games. Adults and also peers can be mean, insulting and bullies online. Certainly you need to teach your child not to enter any personal information that can make it possible for a stranger to locate them. A good rule for every internet user is to consider anything they enter online to be potentially visible by everyone for the rest of time. For example, teachers, law enforcement and future employers may all see what was written or uploaded. Uploading sexual photos of minors is a crime. Making a contract spelling out the rules for media use is very helpful including time, content and consequences for arguments over media use, For more tips on safe internet use click here.