“The world is changing and we have got to prepare our children for this new world”. – Dr Phil McGraw.
In just about half a century computers have gone from the size of a room to fitting into the palm of our hands. With the world at our fingertips it can be easy to live a virtual life in cyberspace. The trouble with this is trusting and inquisitive kids, can mistake this world for ‘the real world’.
Here are some interesting statistics about kids and teens that regularly use the internet;
- 27 % play online games with strangers
- 20 % were inappropriately approached online in the last year
- 70 % surf the web at a friend’s house
- 67 % of parents talk to them about their online activity.
We are now living in a technological age so let’s model appropriate use of the internet for our kids. Show interest in the games your kids play online. Ask them to teach you how to play and find out with whom they are gaming! When your children’s friends are over, monitor and care for them as you would your own kids. Become accustomed with privacy settings on social media and internet sites, to make sure they are not exposed to people or content they don’t yet have the skills to handle.
Remember a time when kids could just be kids? We all want to equip our children with a belief in themselves that they are capable, healthy, resilient and comfortable with who they are. It’s important to do what you can to create a balanced life for them involving nature, activity, exercise and ‘selfie’ free fun!
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