The Tangled Web
Submitted by Boys and Schools Blog
Given that I’m writing this online and you’re (presumably) reading it online, it may seem like an odd forum for a warning about the dangers of the internet. One would assume that we’re all fairly web-savvy here. However, I tend to feel that the familiarity of the web can make us forget about just what a jungle it can be. A jungle populated by a mish-mash of lip-syncing videos, blogs about conpsiracy theories, and porn, perhaps, but a jungle nonetheless. Or at least a very poorly zoned city.
Am I an alarmist? Well, if so, I am in pretty good company. The state of Virginia, for example, has become the first state to require internet safety lessons for schoolchildren. The measure appears to have been prompted primarily by concerns over sex offenders soliciting children online–according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 13% of internet users aged 10-17 have received unwanted sexual solicitations (the vast majority of these victims were teens), and 4% of them reported being asked for nude or explicit photographs.
Yeah, the anonymity of the internet is a real boon for the darker side of human nature. In addition to concerns about sexual predators, the internet has also helped school bullies leap into the information age, sparking a rise in cyberbullying–apparently the hip new way to ostracize and belittle others.
So what should parents do? Experts generally recommend keeping close tabs on your children’s computer use, installing an internet filter, and keeping the family computer(s) in public areas of the house. In addition, it’s probably a good idea to help your kids understand how very public the web can be–that anything you post will be available for all the world to see. And that just maybe it’s a bad idea to post your full name, address, phone number, or pictures of you and your friends engaging in minor acts of juvenile delinquency. It’s just possible that the college admissions officer or hiring manager at their dream job might not be as impressed with their freewheeling antics as their friends were. And really, the world doesn’t need another picture of underage drinkers flashing defunct gang signs at a camara phone.
Visit 1800blogger to see all of our industry leading blogs.
Have a health issue you want to discuss or just a general issue regarding children? Register on Children's Health Blog now and get published within minutes. Before posting, it is recommended that you review our posting guidelines.
