You may have some concerns if your child or teenager plans on using the internet, if they don’t already. The internet is generally safe for children and teens to use for school research, but did you know that they are now using it to communicate with their friends and other internet users as well? This is how and when it becomes problematic for a child to use the internet at a young age.
Although it is important to know that your child may get into trouble online, you may be curious as to what steps you can take to protect them. You may also be curious as to what it is about the internet that can make it so dangerous. For your convenience, here are five reasons why internet use is dangerous for children and teenagers.
1. The creation of false identities is easy
Online friendships are convenient and easy, but they are much different from making them in person. It is because you can’t see the person on the other side of the computer. The internet makes it easy for anyone in the world to be anyone else. For example, if your child is using social networking websites online, they have to enter their age. They might be lying themselves or they might be talking to someone else who may be lying.
2. Predators on the Internet
Internet technology makes it easy to create a new identity. Most of the time, individuals who lie about their ages are internet predators who target children, like yours. A lot of children, teenagers, and their parents cannot tell the truth about internet predators until it is too late, like when they try to approach your child or contact them in person.
3. There are so many websites to choose from
The good thing about the internet is that you can choose from so many websites. In fact, that is why it’s a good resource for researching school projects. However, it can also be dangerous to have so many websites at your disposal. You can provide your child with access to social networking sites, adult chat rooms, pornographic websites, and violent websites. Unless you have parental controls set up, your child can easily access any website with a standard internet search unless you have parental controls set up.
4. There is no such thing as private information
A lot of people, including kids and parents, are unaware that information posted online isn’t always private. MySpace profiles are usually set to public rather than private, so anyone can view them. Also, there are online message boards indexed by search engines. As a result, even years down the road, others can view the conversations that were held.
5. The power is in their hands
As your child uses the internet, they have total control. This can be okay if your child is older and mature, but it’s never a sure thing. It doesn’t mean that your child will follow your rules if you tell them not to talk to strangers online, share pictures, or give out their phone numbers. Therefore, monitor your child’s use of the internet if you let them use it.
