Here is a post from Cox Communications regarding internet safety tips for children/teens plus be sure to check in at the bottom of the post for a giveaway for a $50 American Express gift card! Yeah!
HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN COEXIST WITH KIDS IN A HEALTHY WAY
When parents come to me with questions about how to monitor their kid’s technology, it’s almost always after they’ve discovered something – a questionable photo on Instagram, a conversation with a stranger, usage when they should have been doing their homework. No matter how conscious and proactive parents are about setting limits in other areas, often they don’t create boundaries around technology until a boundary has already been crossed. And no wonder: Many say they simply don’t know where to begin. If they ban chatting on one device, they think, their kids will find a way to do it on another. Others parents say they didn’t realize how much time their kids actually spent staring at screens.
Believe it or not, according to recent studies, kids ages 8 to 18 spend more than seven and a half hours a day on various devices, often while multitasking. But while too much technology use is associated with lower grades and shortened attention spans, it also creates wonderful opportunities for parents and kids alike that none of us would want to give up. So here are a few ways to start thinking about how technology can coexist with kids in a healthy way.
Establish your policy up front. Earlier this year, when a mom named Jannel Burley Hoffman gave her 13-year-old son his first iPhone, it came not just with a data plan, but with a contract. Among the points: She would have his password; if she or her husband called, her son was always to pick up; there would be no porn viewing or sending or receiving inappropriate photos; he would have access to his phone during certain hours only; if he accidentally lost or broke his phone, he would be responsible for its replacement cost. Clarifying rules early on is a win-win for everyone. Kids learn that with freedom comes responsibility, and parents can feel reassured that while kids will make mistakes, they don’t have to come up with a consequence (often an overreaction) on the fly. It’s all in the contract.
Make manners matter. Because we parents were born before Facebook existed, we learned our manners offline. If we did something rude, we apologized, and our bad judgment didn’t live in cyberspace for eternity. For this reason, kids need to know that if they wouldn’t say something offline to a person’s face, they shouldn’t text, post or e-mail that comment, either. Likewise, if they wouldn’t cut off a person sitting across the table from them mid-sentence, they shouldn’t start texting somebody else when that real live person they’re hanging out with is mid-sentence. It may seem obvious to us, but many kids need a reminder that while technology is cool, human beings – with feelings – are the ones who are using it.
Don’t give in to peer pressure…from your kids! Even if you set limits, inevitably your child will try to get you to change your mind with, “But everyone else my age has [fill in the blank]!” If you feel your kid isn’t ready for something – a Facebook account, an iPhone – listen to your gut. Yes, they may be using it from the safety of their bedroom or backpack, but once they’re online, they’re, in essence, able to interact with the entire world. Some kids are inherently less impulsive than others; some self-regulate at earlier ages than others. Your kids will internalize the limits you set, so that by gradually increasing their freedom, you’re giving them the opportunity to show you that they can handle the next level of responsibility. Just as you wouldn’t give your teenager the keys to the car if you didn’t think she could go to a party and not drink before driving, you wouldn’t give her access to a type of technology you didn’t feel confident she could be safe with. Letting your kids show you they’re ready gives you peace of mind, and them the confidence of having earned your trust through their actions.
Be in this together. Because technology is ever-changing, and so are our kids, it’s important for them to feel that while you set the rules, communication is always open. If you notice a distinct change in your child’s behavior and friendships, and you check to see if cyber-bullying is occurring, you’re being a helpful parent, not an intrusive spy. If you set a rule but it’s not in line with what the technology actually does, listen to your child’s explanation, research it, and if you need to adjust the rule, then do so. If you find your child searching for something above his age level on the Internet and you want to give him more accurate information, start a conversation about it. Yes, kids can and should have their spheres of privacy. But they need to know that the Internet is a communal space, one that parents and kids are in together.
Visit www.cox.com/takecharge for more tips and information.
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And you can enter to win a $50 American Express gift card!!
If you would like to win just leave a comment below letting me know if you have any additional tips for internet safety.
For a bonus entry: leave a second comment letting me know if you are:
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This giveaway ends on June 30th at 4pm PST. GOOD LUCK!
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**This post is sponsored by A&E Networks for my participation in the Lifetime Moms program. The giveaway winner will be selected randomly and will have 72 hours to respond. If they do not respond an alternate winner will be selected.
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Those tips were very helpful I have nothing to add
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We like to use the norton family on the computers our kids use.
We have the computer in a family room.
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We have our kids turn in their electronics at 9 pm- that way we know they aren’t on them all night!
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I watch what my kids are on, Iam in the same room with the volume on high. They are young still though.
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Keeping the computer in family areas is one of the best tips i have heard.
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Great tips! I’d love to win =)
Make sure your kids are only corresponding/responding to people they know while on the internet.
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With any computer, iPhone or iPad comes responsibilities. Kids need to be taught to be responsible with their actions and, also, with the equipment. Don’t let them loan it to a friend!
Keep computers in open family spaces and keep up those open and honest conversations with them.
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Definitely need to keep the computer in public places
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Good pointers. My kids are too young for phones yet, but I’ll definitely use some of these tips when we get to that point.
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These are helpful tips. I am also an email subscriber.
I am an email subscriber.
Make sure to have honest, age-appropriate conversations with kids about how to protect yourself from / respond to weirdos on the Internet. I mean adults pretending to be kids, or pedophiles, etc. Kids (especially girls) might encounter it, so it’s better to be prepared. You don’t want them to be naive and victimized by someone.
I have nothing to add love the tips
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I only let the computer be used in the front room at the dining room table and always set a time limit
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My kids are a little young still to really be on the computer, but I got some great tips for the future.
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I like keeping the technology use in open living areas
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To keep my daughter safe online, I do my best to monitor the sites she is on. So far, so good. But she’s only 10!
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Ruth Mayer Hill
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We never put up photos of our daughter unless she is fully dressed. Who knows what weirdos want to look at her in a diaper.
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The kids have to keep the electronics out of their room at night.
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