Kids and The Internet
By lynnemg
@lynnemg (4529)
United States
January 21, 2009 6:44pm CST
I have three kids that are old enough to have some knowledge of a computer and how it works. One that is old enough to surf the net. I do not let him get on-line unless I am right there to supervise. In my opinion, there is just too much on the net that I do not feel he needs to be looking at. I do not allow him to have a profile on Facebook, or MySpace, and he does not have an e-mail account either. There are times when he tries to tell me that I am just being unreasonable, I tell him that I survuved without using a computer growing up, and he can too.
My question for all you parents out there is, do you allow your children to surf the net, have an e-mail account, and have profiles on the social sites? If so, how well do you monitor their activity? Whether you do or do not allow your children to surf the net, what are your reasons for your decision?
2 people like this
6 responses
@mrdos910 (455)
• United States
22 Jan 09
I have a 8 year old son who gets on the Internet to play games, I have the solution that works well. First you need to have the current version of Firefox web browser, then you go to the add-ons site for Firefox (built into browser itself) download the add-on entitled KidZui, it transforms Firefox into a full-featured web browser for kids. It has sites already allowed, and you can approve other sites individually. It even can require a parent email address and password you set-up in KidZui to exit the program. Basically when the kid tries to close KidZui, they must enter that email and password combination or they cannot exit KidZui. I think it is good, because my son thinks he is big and can use my browser, which is not kid friendly, so having that password there, he cannot even get back into Windows
@marisriel (1156)
• Philippines
23 Jan 09
This is a good internet protection system mrdos910. My daughter is still too young, she's five but I already allow her to play online games such as Disney and Nickelodeon. I think by the next two years she'll be able to surf already and I also fear for her getting on these bad sites. My husband is more techie type than me so I think I will be telling him to take charge to put these necessary internet protection like you did. Regarding the social sites such as friendsters, I think I will allow them to have that but with supervision. In the future, I would think I'll be able to or hope that I will be able to explain them how they should use the internet properly.
@CRIVAS (1815)
• Canada
22 Jan 09
Thankfully my children are still too young to use the internet. Having said that, I don't think that you are being unreasonable, when my girls are old enough to be on the net, you can bet your bottom that I will be monitoring them. I also plan on learning how to use those parental settings on my computer just in case. My sister is 12 and my mother watches her closely as well. With all the inapropriat things on the net, I think that anyone that doesn't monitor their child, is looking for trouble. Your children will thank you when they are older, they just don't know it yet.
1 person likes this
@roniroxas (10559)
• Philippines
22 Jan 09
i have four children and all of them are teens, still i make sure i am around if they surf the net. i explain to them the pros and cons of the use f the interent. they also have accounts on friendster (it's like myspace) very popular here in our country but i know their usernames and their passwords so i can go in and out of their profile. i am a single mom so it is my right to be protective. there are a lot of things, bad things happening to some children who uses the net without parents supervision
@ratha78 (14)
•
22 Jan 09
I have a son.He always want to play games in internet.But i dnot allow him for long hours.Now,itself i want to control him to surf in internet otherwise,he maY be additive to internet and slowly go to social websites AND ADULT web sites.In my view after 18 years old only,parents allow the kid to surf internet without monitor them.before that they have to monitor the kib activity in which and everything.
@Lindery (853)
• Latvia
22 Jan 09
Kids and internet is a very painful thing. I mean, these days you can't study, communicate etc. if you don't have an internet permission. How old is your kid? Does he get on the net at school? If he does then he will find things you didn't let him/her to search for. Kids are too curious.
I agree about banning your kid to open an account on myspace, facebook etc. site because they are just too wide. But from my point of view email address is acceptable, it could be equated to mobile phone swapping with SMS.
I know it's hard to evaluate when it's the best time to let your kid visit internet world but it's hard to stop him/her either. Specially, if other kids - his/her friends have permission these things.
A sample, your kid goes to school and all his friends are discussing a funny joke they sent to each other on email... meanwhile your kid gets upset.
Good luck with this!
@denise002 (444)
• Australia
22 Jan 09
im not a parent.
but depending on how old ur kid is i think u might be sheltering them a little bit too much. if he is still young then yeah thats fine but if he is say a teen, then i would let him and just put blocks on certain sites. give him a little freedom.
also u can go on after he has and look at the history to see where he has been.
id consider giving him a "trial period" and if he doesnt try do anything he isnt meant to then i would leave him to it
1 person likes this
