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Children Online
By: The American Academy Of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Computers have traditionally
been trusted by both children and adults as reliable and accurate
sources of information. The rapid growth of online services and
Internet access has added a new dimension to modern computing.
Through a computer modem and phone line children now have access
to an almost endless supply of information and opportunity for
interaction. However, there can be real risks and dangers for
an unsupervised child.
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Most online services give children
resources such as encyclopedias, current events coverage, and
access to libraries and other valuable material. They can also
play games and communicate with friends. The ability to "click"
from one area to another appeals to a child's natural impulsivity
and curiosity and needs for immediate gratification or feedback.
Most parents teach their children not to talk with strangers,
not to open the door if they are home alone, and not to give
out information on the telephone to unknown callers. |
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Most parents also monitor where
their children go, who they play with, and what TV shows, books,
or magazines they are exposed to. However, many parents don't
realize that the same level of guidance and supervision must
be provided for a child's online experience.
Parents can not assume that their
child will be protected by the supervision or regulation provided
by the online services. Most "chat rooms" or "news
groups" are completely unsupervised. Because of the anonymous
nature of the "screen name," children who communicate
with others in these areas will not know if they are "talking"
with another child or a child predator pretending to be a child
or teen. Unlike the mail and visitors that a parent sees a child
receive at home, e-mail or "chat room" activity is
not seen by parents. Unfortunately, there can be serious consequences
to children who have been persuaded to give personal information,
(e.g. name, passwords, phone number, address) or have agreed
to meet someone in person.
Some of the other risks or
problems include:
- children accessing areas that
are inappropriate or overwhelming;
- online information that promotes
hate, violence, and pornography;
- children being mislead and bombarded
with intense advertising;
- children being invited to register
for prizes or to join a club when they are providing personal
or household information to an unknown source;
- hours spent online is time lost
from developing real social skills.
In order to make a child's
online experience more safe and educational, parents should:
- limit the amount of time a child
spends online and "surfing the web";
- teach a child that talking to
"screen names" in a "chat room" is the same
as talking with strangers;
- teach a child never to give
out any personal identifying information to another individual
or website online;
- teach a child to never agree
to actually meet someone they have met online;
- never give a child credit card
numbers or passwords that will enable online purchases or access
to inappropriate services or sites;
- remind a child that not everything
they see or read online is true;
- make use of the parental control
features offered with your online service, or obtaining commercially
available software programs, to restrict access to "chat
lines," news groups, and inappropriate websites;
- provide for an e-mail address
only if a child is mature enough to manage it, and plan to periodically
monitor the child's e-mail and online activity;
- teach a child to use the same
courtesy in communicating with others online as they would if
speaking in person -- i.e. no vulgar or profane language, no
name calling, etc.;
- insist that a child follow the
same guidelines at other computers that they might have access
to, such as those at school, libraries, or friend's homes.
Parents should remember that
communicating online does not prepare children for real interpersonal
relationships. Spending time with a child initially exploring
an online service and periodically participating with a child
in the online experience gives parents an opportunity to monitor
and supervise the activity. It is also an opportunity to learn
together.
Copyright © 1997 by the
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. |
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