The Internet–How Safe Is Your Child?

The Internet–How Safe Is Your Child?

Last week I talked about parents fears regarding the Internet. Parents are given so much information and trying to discern it all can be complicated. They want the best for their children and to protect them in any way they can. Guarding your child’s safety has become a priority since the emergence of social media.

I have researched this to the nth degree and I realize there will always be more to study as we develop newer technology. But the bottom line is—there has always been identity theft, there have always been pedophiles and there will always be crimes we wish we could prevent.

Does posting your birthday make you more vulnerable to identity theft? Debatable since there are whole groups of people here in the US and overseas who spend all their time figuring ways to crack codes, steal information and profit illegally.

Most of us have gotten messages on Facebook where a friend (one of our real friends whose account has been hacked) asks us for money because they are stuck overseas. It looks so legitimate that many of us fall prey to this ploy.

I remember when I first went back to college in 2000. I had never been on the Internet and it scared me. All that information we had to learn and then put out into the airwaves. In my first 3 months of study I was hacked twice with the same exact ploy—“You’ve Got Pictures.” Both times the email was from real friends who I would have photographs in common with so I never thought twice. I had no way of knowing some clever thief had stolen my email address book and their sole purpose was to infect my computer with a virus. What the hell was that about? I had to get a Trojan Horse from the college to remove the virus.

Now we have social media and it opened up a whole new can of worms. This has been the evolution of technology. For every breakthrough, there is some degenerate figuring ways to outwit the law for their own personal gain.

It is when they target our children that we as parents want to be well-informed and do whatever it takes to shield our children. When they are babies, this is a bit easier. The real danger for our children is when they, themselves begin using the Internet and social media.

Whatever age you allow your child to access the computer with or without supervision is when the true worry should begin. Just like any other activity we can do our best to limit, teach, and supervise what they are doing but it is not 100% fail-safe and so we should worry. “Just what does our child do when they are online?”

As an informed parent we should always assume whatever our child posts to social media—prying evil eyes view it too. That is just common sense because criminals are skilled at finding ways to get what they want, whether we intentionally put it out there or not. Today kids seem to post all too much information to social media sites.

We read personal posts, racy pictures, arguments and bullying on the social media platforms. I have seen a little too much of young adult’s skin, tongues, middle fingers and hate. These are matters parents should be addressing with their children—what is appropriate and acceptable within your own home. The same diligence should be practiced for cell phone use. Once something is posted onto social media, it is out there forever.

Safety should be something parents teach their children. Setting guidelines as to what is allowed with consequences (such as limited time or banning computer or cell phone use).

While we want to trust our children, sometimes they are not as savvy as they believe and keeping an eye on their action may be in their best interest. There are applications that can be set in place so that a parent can monitor their child’s activity.

I researched these apps recommended by Dr. Phil and found them to be very effective in protecting your child’s online safety.  http://www.drphil.com/articles/article/603

 

1.       Dadgard    http://dadguard.com/

2.       TextGuard   http://www.textguard.com/

3.       My Mobile Watchdog  http://www.mymobilewatchdog.com/

4.       iWondersurf  http://www.iwondersurf.com/

 

Parents may not want to think of such safeguards, hoping their child can be trusted. What they really need to focus on is that the devious people in this world are the ones who cannot be trusted. They are so clever at getting what it is they want that even the most experienced or mature child can fall prey. I would rather be safe than sorry—my child’s life is more important than any politically correct notion someone has of parenting over my choices. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tagged as: children, common sense, computer, Dr. Phil, Facebook, internet, parents, safety, social media, teach