If you are reading this article and you are the parent of a teenager, you probably went to high school from the late 70's through the early 90's. Even for those of you who finished school in the 90's, communication was a major problem in those days. The internet didn't even start getting popular until the mid to late 90's, and cellphones didn't become popular until the late 90's or maybe even 2000. To say that being discreet was hard to do in those days would be a major understatement. If someone wanted to get ahold of you, they had to call the "home phone"... and if mom and dad were on to something, they had to go through them. If there had been texting, Facebook, MySpace, and the internet back then, I might not be alive to be writing this
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There is never a lack of communication with today's teens. If their channels of communication are not monitored on a regular basis, we stand a greater chance of our teens getting in possibly serious trouble. The internet is the scariest communication tool a teenager has, mainly because they are so gullible and naive (think back to how you were as a teen). The anonymity of the internet and the ease of communicating with young kids makes this the perfect hunting ground for sexual predators. It has been estimated that there are over 50,000 predators on the internet at any given time. As a parent or guardian, you should stay well-informed about current issues to understand what your children are experiencing on and off the Internet. If they are using social networks, instant messaging, webcams, or blogging, help them use these tools safely by learning how to use them yourself. Children whose parents and guardians regularly talk to them about personal safety are more likely to act responsibly …show more content…
Children living in your home, being supported by you, have no right to privacy.... only the amount that they earn from you. This includes earning it when they have no idea that you are looking. There are some excellent programs on the market that will monitor computer activity without anyone knowing it is there. These programs will record every keystroke and take screen shots at whatever intervals you set. Pretty handy tool! With these programs, you can pretty much let kids use the computer anywhere, at any time.
Talk to your kids!!! Let them know what you expect from them, and that using the internet is a privilege that can quickly be taken away. Let them know the dangers of giving out personal information.
There are several good sites on the internet that can help you and your children with internet safety. The best one I have come across is The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. They have lots of great information and tips to help keep kids safe on the internet and off. The FBI's Parent Guide to Internet Safety is another good source for information. Let's all do our part in keeping our children
There is never a lack of communication with today's teens. If their channels of communication are not monitored on a regular basis, we stand a greater chance of our teens getting in possibly serious trouble. The internet is the scariest communication tool a teenager has, mainly because they are so gullible and naive (think back to how you were as a teen). The anonymity of the internet and the ease of communicating with young kids makes this the perfect hunting ground for sexual predators. It has been estimated that there are over 50,000 predators on the internet at any given time. As a parent or guardian, you should stay well-informed about current issues to understand what your children are experiencing on and off the Internet. If they are using social networks, instant messaging, webcams, or blogging, help them use these tools safely by learning how to use them yourself. Children whose parents and guardians regularly talk to them about personal safety are more likely to act responsibly …show more content…
Children living in your home, being supported by you, have no right to privacy.... only the amount that they earn from you. This includes earning it when they have no idea that you are looking. There are some excellent programs on the market that will monitor computer activity without anyone knowing it is there. These programs will record every keystroke and take screen shots at whatever intervals you set. Pretty handy tool! With these programs, you can pretty much let kids use the computer anywhere, at any time.
Talk to your kids!!! Let them know what you expect from them, and that using the internet is a privilege that can quickly be taken away. Let them know the dangers of giving out personal information.
There are several good sites on the internet that can help you and your children with internet safety. The best one I have come across is The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. They have lots of great information and tips to help keep kids safe on the internet and off. The FBI's Parent Guide to Internet Safety is another good source for information. Let's all do our part in keeping our children