In this age, nearly everyone uses the internet at some point. Businesses rely on it, individuals work and play on it, and teenagers seem to live on it!
The internet has many uses, including email, socializing, working, browsing websites, reading news, shopping, and playing games or videos. Everyday tasks are made simpler by the internet, which is one obvious advantage.
Some parents worry about their teen’s activities, however. The media has induced a panic about sexual predators online. While it’s true that predators and weirdoes do exist online, with proper influence from the parents, teens can use caution and make their use of the internet safe and positive.
Monitoring Your Teen: Good or Bad?
It’s nearly impossible to monitor everything your teen does, nor should you try. They are very likely to find out that you’re tracking them, and when they do, it’s a source of great mistrust and loss of respect towards you. Instead, give your teen the tools and coping strategies to succeed online independently, without you knowing everything that goes on.
Instead of making assumptions about what he’s doing when he hides the internet window from you, talk to your teen about why he uses the internet, and why he thinks it’s so popular among young people. Some teens will gladly engage in a conversation that you might find enlightening and reassuring, forestalling your worries before they begin.
Is Your Teen Internet-Smart?
Teens who grew up with the internet are likely already very aware of the risks present, and have probably already been exposed to pornography, strangers attempting to talk to them, or potential for loss of personal information. You likely grew up with a very different set of risks involved in your social life, but you were street-smart in your own way, just as your teen is street-smart about technology that he grew up with.
If you have a younger teen or one who has been more sheltered, it’s important to remind them of the basics. Remind them not to give out personal information, not to let any strangers have access to information about your location, not to meet up with internet friends without letting you know where they’re going, and to report, block, or ban anyone who makes them feel uncomfortable or makes sexual advances.
Most teens who are targeted by sexual predators are fairly naive and from a rural or suburban area. If you’ve noticed strange phone calls, weird packages arriving at your home, or just have a weird feeling about a situation, your child may be targeted by a predator.
How to Arm Your Teen With Knowledge
The best defense your teen has is knowledge of what to do in situations that make them uncomfortable. Make sure they know that they can come to you if anything doesn’t feel right, and that you won’t judge them for ending up in an uncomfortable situation. Instead, you can help them out of it and give them strategies to use if they find themselves in a similar situation again.
With your help, your teen can use the internet in a perfectly safe and productive way to keep in contact with their friends without any danger.
Related posts:
- Teen Sexuality: Your Little Kid All Grown Up?
- How to Communicate With Your Teen
- Teen Depression and Suicide
- Talking to Your Teen About Drugs
- How to Tell if Your Teen is in Trouble
Tags: Effects of Internet on Teens, Teen Internet Use, Teenage Internet Addiction, Teens Instant Messaging