With the increase in smart phones
and internet so prevalent in everyone’s lives, kids are increasingly online. They are on social media and more of
their friends are online than ever before, it’s easy to get lost in the online
world. The concern of parents with the safety of their children is become a concern.
The constant threat of online chat rooms with predators, online bullying, and
exposing sensitive information there can be great concerns. Is there an immediate
danger for kids online? Are online strangers a concern to parents? According to
Pew Internet & American Life Project, 53% of parents are “very worried/concerned”
about their children meeting strangers online. Online predators are not
something to loosely be concerned about; especially when a minor is talking to
people they do not know. When kids met people online, they believe that they
are going to all be nice people who care about them, when in reality many kids
have been subjected to bad situations. In an article released by ABC news, “In
a recent survey of young Internet users aged 10 to 17; one in five reported
they had received unwanted sexual solicitations online, ranging from sexually
suggestive comments to strangers asking them to meet them in the real world for
sex”. This type of statistic is a scary and very real situation, when parents
aren’t constantly watching over their teens; they don’t know exactly who they
are talking to.
Some teenagers feel as though they
can trust these online personas and give them information about themselves once
they are comfortable with the people they are talking to. Information can range
from where they live, how old they are, and some even exploit themselves in
nude pictures. When a teen is feeling insecure, sometimes talking to someone
that “feels the same way they do” can help them open up and express themselves
to this person. The situation that a young teenager Katy Glover put herself in
could have ended very badly for her. She talked to a boy over the internet for
over a year and they decided they wanted to be in a relationship, eventually he
asked her for nude pictures of herself, and she sent them to him. Her mom happened
to find out about these pictures and told him to never speak to her again.
Thankfully Katy had a parent who stood in the way of them ever meeting because
this man who claimed to be 16 was actually an online predator who was middle
aged. This man was eventually found and now is in convicted; he reportedly had
been talking to a dozen young teens online, along with Katy. This type of situation
can become a nightmare for parents, worrying about their children’s online
activities but there are prevention methods that parents can follow.
There are ways to see who teens are
talking to online, some are easier than others, but for a concerned parent, it
can extremely important. One tip is: “Never post your personal information,
such as a cell phone number, home number, home address, or your location on any
social networking site or through mobile apps like Snapchat or Instagram.” By
following this rule, you can prevent people from knowing exactly where you are
and where you have been, this is important in some ways. Even when people go
away for vacation, by posting that you are leaving your house with your family that
tells people that a home is being vacant for an extended period of time. Another
important rule, “If you wouldn’t say something to another person’s face, don’t
text it or post it online”, this can help your child avoid hurtful situations. Parents
will always be concerned with their child’s online safety, but parents can
follow simple sets to help them feel better about their teens online
activity.
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