The Wisconsin stabbings should be a reminder to monitor your children’s online activity
Posted by: Timothy Tibbetts on 06/04/2014 06:29 AM
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In light of the young girls who stabbed their friend in Wisconsin, we wanted to remind or suggest that parents need to remember to check up on their kid’s internet usage. This isn’t the first time tragedy has struck where internet traces were found later.
I’m not giving parenting advice, not even close. I would actually admit to being a very impatient parent, hence not the best Dad in the world although I think I have a #1 Dad mug somewhere so that seems legit. That said; it’s pretty easy to check on your children’s activity or even limit it.
I have always said the internet parallels the real world. Most parents would want to know where their children are going, with whom and when they will return if they head out somewhere. Yet they often hold the entire world in their hands and no one stops to ask, or see what they are doing out there.
One reason for this is that easy internet access with mobile devices like smartphones did not really take off until about 2007, when the iPhone was introduced. This means, technically, if your child is over 7 years old they are older than the technology they are using. Parents need to catch up. By the way, owning a device does not make you an expert. The majority of people I meet who own a smartphone seem to know everything about smartphones; mostly that their device is the best on the market. Zip it and learn how to use it.
If you need help checking up on your little crumb crunchers, be sure to ask on the MajorGeeks Support Forums.
I know it’s hard to do but you have the responsibility to protect and bring up your children the best you can. So make sure they are safe online and if they complain about privacy it’s probably a good time to explain the death of privacy so they can also be careful about what they choose to post online.
They’ll thank you later.
I’m not giving parenting advice, not even close. I would actually admit to being a very impatient parent, hence not the best Dad in the world although I think I have a #1 Dad mug somewhere so that seems legit. That said; it’s pretty easy to check on your children’s activity or even limit it.
I have always said the internet parallels the real world. Most parents would want to know where their children are going, with whom and when they will return if they head out somewhere. Yet they often hold the entire world in their hands and no one stops to ask, or see what they are doing out there.
One reason for this is that easy internet access with mobile devices like smartphones did not really take off until about 2007, when the iPhone was introduced. This means, technically, if your child is over 7 years old they are older than the technology they are using. Parents need to catch up. By the way, owning a device does not make you an expert. The majority of people I meet who own a smartphone seem to know everything about smartphones; mostly that their device is the best on the market. Zip it and learn how to use it.
If you need help checking up on your little crumb crunchers, be sure to ask on the MajorGeeks Support Forums.
I know it’s hard to do but you have the responsibility to protect and bring up your children the best you can. So make sure they are safe online and if they complain about privacy it’s probably a good time to explain the death of privacy so they can also be careful about what they choose to post online.
They’ll thank you later.
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