Keeping Teens Safe Online
Seattle – There is a disturbing amount of teens that are releasing private information on the internet. Many are using several of the different social networking sites that we all have found.
Most of the discussion is about sexual behavior. In most cases it was found by researchers that many of the teens were unaware that the information they were providing was open to the public.
A study was performed on nearly 500 people listed on one of the more popular sites, MySpace. The 500 people were ages 18 and under. During this study, the researchers found that many of the teens told about many different things they were doing. This would involve sex, drugs and many other risky things that the teens were and are doing.
During this study Dr. Dimitiri Christakis stated that a warning e-mail about certain situations was sent to some of the posters about what causes could happen to them. Many responded with not doing this particular behavior/situation any more.
With 90 percent of teens able to access the internet and apply to social networking sites. It is scary to think what these children are doing and how they are endangering there lives.
In today’s society, parents are completely unaware of what their child is doing. This number needs to change. Parents need to become parents once again and get involved in their children’s lives fully.
First, parents need to know who their children know or are in contact with. Next, what their children are involved in. This includes what they are doing on the internet. What sites they visit, who they chat with where this person is located, etc. Knowledge is key in parenting.
Parents also need to be aware of many of the situations their children may have already been involved in. It is best they do research on the situation, what issues this could cause their children and how they can go about helping their child make sure they are safe.
Many parents feel that society has taken away their rights to be parents. It is time to strike back and become strong support for children. They need it.
The intelligence level is extremely high in our children but, they are ignorant or choose to ignore certain information that could be beneficial to their level of knowledge.
If your child is involved in sexual activity, know the facts, be level headed about the situation, take action, help your child get medical help if need be, provide information on medical conditions, diseases, etc. depending on the situation.
Monitor the sites your child visits. There is software available that parents can have put on the child’s computer that will alert them on theirs about specific sites their children are on or have visited, this will help to keep parents informed.
Parents need to take action now to help today’s children. If you are the parent of a teenager, get involved immediately. Your child may be upset with you at first, but later will be grateful and understand why you are getting involved. Show them and tell them that you care. This is their way of rebelling and it can be harmful to their health.