The internet and access to social media sites can be a dangerous place for children. The increasing connectivity of today’s society makes it inevitable that children will go online—it’s where they study, where they play and where they connect with friends. However, the ubiquity of the internet does not mean it is a safe place for kids.
There are a number of dangers children face online, including the likelihood of cyberbullying, possible exposure to inappropriate content and vulnerability to online predators. Additionally, children who are not educated about the internet or social media are more likely to share personal information online or say and read things that may be harmful or damaging to them or others.
These dangers can have serious consequences, ranging from computer infections and identity theft to emotional and psychological damage. For a parent, it is important to understand the risks and dangers posed by the internet and social media and how to best guide your children through them. Unfortunately, children can easily manipulate sites that ask for information or are not emotionally mature enough to understand what they may be reading, doing or even saying.
One of the major steps in keeping your child safe online is setting the parental controls on all of the devices they have access to and the time they are allowed whether supervised or not. Careful supervision and setting of controls allows the parent to restrict what websites and social media choices a child has access to and will help in limit their exposure to inappropriate content. Monitoring online activity and setting time limits for them is a basic requirement.
As a School, we are spending a considerable amount of time dealing with the ramifications and fall out of social media as more young students are being given free access and lack of parental control to use this. Our concern is that this does not happen under our watch at School, but comes back to School for us to have to deal with the potential fallout. Anxiety levels can increase and have a detrimental impact on a child’s academic progress.
Please assist us in educating your child and more importantly do not allow them these privileges if they are not emotionally mature enough to handle them. Let our children stay protected and innocent and be able to enjoy being kids for just a bit longer!
Written by Roderick Wood, Associate Principal - Primary School