Feb. - March: Technology Safety

I think the biggest threat to our children's safety online is that too often the adults responsible for them are clueless as to the capabilities and dangers of technology. We laugh off the fact that our children know as much if not more than we do about how to use the latest technologies, sites, etc. But it's actually a very serious issue. Would you let your child drive a car, venture out on the open road, if you didn't know how to drive - if you didn't know how to prepare them for icy conditions, highway driving, use of a seatbelt, how to change a tire (okay, so I still don't really know how to do that), etc.? We need to know more than they do about the technology they are using in order to keep them safe.

A month ago I picked up my nine year old son from his friend's house. On the way home I asked him to tell me about what he and his friend were playing. He told me his friend was helping him set up a Facebook page. I almost drove off the road! I then learned that they used their school email accounts and lied about their ages to set up this Facebook page. His friend has had one for awhile now and his parents are fine with it. My son and I sat down at home, pulled up his page and I proceeded to go into my lecture as to why he should not have a Facebook page: 1. If you have to lie about your age, or anything, you shouldn't be doing it; 2. I don't believe that's what the school intended him to use his email account for; 3. Facebook is primarily to keep in touch with people you don't see often - and he sees all his friends every day at school; 4. He posted information about where he lives; 5. Any social networking or exchanging of information, dialogue, etc. with people over the internet needs to be approved by me and dad first. I'm sure I added even more impressive, spectacular, convincing reasons for my cause...as his eyes kept rolling at me. I de-activated his Facebook account. I showed him my Facebook account so he could see that I use it to keep in touch with my friend who lives in Columbus, my aunt, uncle, cousins, etc. I told him when he is the right age, together we would look at several Facebook pages to see what looks good, responsible, etc. and we'd set up a Facebook page for him (of course by then, Facebook may be an archaic tool).

My twelve year old daughter doesn't have a Facebook page either. Am I crazy or do any of you feel the same? As it is, I have to spend enough time monitoring her texts on her phone! (By the way, I got a good tip from a friend the other day - keep your child's cellphone in your bedroom at night so they can't lose sleep texting friends at all hours).

We had a second grader with a cellphone in class this year! We were shocked! Is this appropriate? What do you think?

Below are some links to an article and sites about technology/internet safety for parents and children. Let's discuss!

www.cnet.com/4520-13384_1-6721018-1.html
http://www.safekids.com/
http://www.webwisekids.org/
www.netsmartz.org/netparents.htm
http://www.netfamilynews.org/