Internet Dangers
Published: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 4:44 PM PST
The Internet is something that most of us use for, well, just about everything. From reading the news to banking to e-mail, there is practically nothing that we cannot find online.
So naturally, it is something that draws children too. There are a ton of games and Web sites specifically designed for children, and many parents who allow their children to use the Internet.
I am one of those parents. I am not, however, careless. Aside from the many discussions I have had with my 9-year-old son, Deven, about the Internet dangers, I also closely monitor what he does and where he goes.
He has his own profile on the computer, and we added bookmarks under his profile of Web sites he is allowed to go to. Any other site he wants to go to, he has to get permission first.
So far, he has been very good about sticking to the rules. I monitor where he goes and what he does, and he is usually somewhere in my line of sight, where I can “sneak up” behind him and take a peek.
There has not been anything he needed to hide. He does not go to any sites where he chats with people. There were a few games online that he could chat with other kids, but he knew to keep that limited too.
He learned his lesson once when he gave his password to someone who stole one of his game characters. I was glad for that, because it did teach him a lesson. I was also relieved that the only thing lost was his computer game character, but something important enough to him to make a lasting impression.
But he does know not to give out our home address or phone number. He definitely knows not to do that one.
The only other kids he really plays those computer games with now are his cousins, but he has pretty much stopped playing them anyway.
He prefers to mainly just go to the Nickelodeon and Disney Web sites, which just have games and news and no interaction with other people.
He also has his own e-mail address, but it is secured with parental controls, and I still check his e-mail regularly. Most of his e-mails are from his cousins, me and my husband. At his age, I do not think that there is anything wrong with checking in on him once in a while.
There is one Web site that I really limit his use on though, and that is Youtube. There are many great videos posted, many from his favorite television shows and comic characters. What sucks is that there are also many bad videos with bad words, suggestive images, drug use and scary images.
This is why he is not allowed to go to Youtube without me being with him to monitor what he looks at by sitting right next to him.
Well, the other day I thought I found a great video he would want to watch. It was an animated video of cartoon characters dancing to “Gonna Make You Sweat” by C&C Music Factory. This ‘90s hit was known for its chorus, “Everybody Dance Now.”
For some reason, my son loves that song, and I do not even know where he heard it. Well, I thought I screened it when I played the video for him. But at the very last two seconds, the video ended with loud noises and the face of the girl from “The Exorcist” and the clown from “It”.
These were definitely not images I wanted him to see and they shocked him. I was pretty angry about it.
My point is, just because you think you monitor something, does not mean it will always be safe. It also may not be what you think it is. When it comes to the Internet, you can never be sure.
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