14/11/2017
Kids with internet
Back To The Basics
Are you the parent of a child who uses the internet or the parent of a child who will start using the internet soon? If you are, you should know that the internet is a great way to stay up-to-date on the news, do research for school projects, and communicate with friends, but it can also be very dangerous. As a parent, it is your responsibility to make sure that your child stays safe online. Unfortunately, for this to happen you must know your way around a computer and the internet. Do you?
This week a 16-year-old boy committed su***de in their house in Kamukunji, Nairobi, after playing an online game blue whale challenge that encourages one to take his or her life. It has 50 challenges and the player is considered the winner when he or she goes through the last challenge, which requires the person to commit su***de. This is a sad and heart breaking situation, but often we as parents we ignore the tittle details about our children like their sudden change in mood, how their day really was? or even what they are doing online and how they benefit from it.
It’s time we take full control over what teen’s use the internet and technology for, and how they get to use it. I know it can be challenging to keep up with the kids these days in terms technology. But we owe it to them to keep them safe from any danger and threats they may face.
Here are some signs that your teenager may be in trouble online.
They Get on the Computer at the Same Time Everyday What many parents do not realize is that children and teenagers can easily become targets of online child predators. Many also do not realize that this process doesn’t always happen overnight. Some child predators pretend to be the ages of their targets. They then work to gain the trust of those targets. This can take a few days or a few weeks. You may be able to tell if this is happening though if your child gets on the internet at the same time, every single day. This is a good sign that they are communicating directly with someone, who may not have pure intentions.
They Are Secretive When They Use the Computer how does your child act when they are using the computer? Does your child try to hide what they are doing online from you? If they automatically shut off the computer or put a game on the screen, they may be trying to prevent you from seeing what they are doing online. This is a good sign that your child may be doing something they shouldn’t be doing online.
They Are Very Happy When Getting Off the Computer If your child is overly happy when they sign off the internet, they may be on the path to trouble. This sign can be a little bit tricky, though. Your child may be happy because they just finished a long school project, but you honestly never know. If your teenager is communicating with someone online, they may be in the process of starting a relationship, which they are happy about. Unfortunately, many teenagers do not realize that anyone can hide behind a computer. That is why it is important that you talk to your child about the dangers of starting an online conversation.
They Are Very Depressed As previously stated, your child may be very happy when using the internet, but another warning sign is that they are depressed, especially when they sign off the computer. What many parents do not realize is that other teenagers use the internet for harassment. If your teenager has a falling out with one of their friends, they may find themselves being harassed online. If that is the case, your child may seem very down, depressed, and withdrawn.
The four above mentioned signs are just a few of the many that you will want to look for to see if your child is in trouble online. With that said, there are additional signs that you will want to be on the lookout for, the biggest being a change in behavior. If you do suspect that your child has or is about to run into trouble online, be sure to talk to them and as soon as possible.
SAFETY FIRST!!!
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