There is no shortage of issues and scenarios for parents to worry about. We tend to think in terms of extremes, of worst case situations. If our child is late getting home, we think of the thousand things that could have gone wrong. This is part of how we keep our children safe – we are always on guard. When our children are online, we worry about predators, child pornography, and physical danger facing our children. But sometimes this worry overshadows other dangers that are perhaps much more prevalent. Our children face risks to their self-esteem, social development, and happiness. What are these risks, and how do we help protect our children?
First, there is good news for parents. Patti Valkenburg, professor at the University of Amsterdam’s Center for Research on Children, Adolescents and the Media, says, “With every new media, there’s always a panic. For most adolescents, it’s [the internet’s] still positive, but not when it’s used too much. They can get easy access to everything, but there are dangers on the Internet, just like in our daily lives.”
The benefits include having a safe place to explore their identities and practice social interactions. Valkenburg says that “newer technology, like social networking and blogs” can provide “positive effects on self-esteem.” For most kids, but not all. Valkenburg found that a minority of children was vulnerable to negative aspects of the internet and it could affect their self-esteem. Further, evidence shows that “compulsive” internet use and the inability to limit time online and using media to replace real interactions is also damaging to children’s self-esteem.
Is your child one of the majority who will adjust well to the internet and its attendant benefits and drawbacks? Statistics say probably, but that’s not good enough for parents. Any child can be vulnerable to cyber bullying or other risks. Even having a negative response to a social media profile or a comment posted can trigger damaging feelings. How does a parent prevent this? You can’t prevent everything negative from happening to your child, nor should you try. But you can offer them the support they need to deal with these issues.
1 Talk with them about potential dangers in a nonthreatening, non-judgmental way. Make sure that they know that they can come to you with concerns (like cyber bulling) instead of trying to deal with it themselves.
2 Use parental monitoring and filtering software to prevent your child from accessing sites that you feel are inappropriate. These differ based on your child’s age, development, and sensitivity.
3 If your child is unable to self-monitor or uses the internet compulsively, then set time limits and consistently enforce them.
The internet can, and should, be a positive tool in your child’s life. Help them deal with the pressures and risks to their self-esteem as diligently as you seek to protect them from other dangers.
SAINT is an excellent internet filter solution which offers protection for your family while they are browsing online. Want to find out more about programa de control parental, for your business or family, then visit the SAINT App website.
Tags: technology
I found the information on this site handy.