Internet is one of the most successful technology that mankind has ever developed. It allows for easy and almost effortless dissemination of information in this information age. A lot of people – including children have come to embrace the endless opportunities that the internet can offer.
WHAT CAN THE INTERNET DO TO OUR CHILDREN?
The only bad thing about the internet is that people with ‘negative minds’ have so polluted the internet to the extent that the internet that is meant to be an efficient and effective way of disseminating information now become a medium to perpetrate all kinds of crime and fraud.
Porn and offensive contents have eaten deep in the internet. Our children that are supposed to use the internet to learn and have fun have all resorted to using the internet to feed their mind negatively. Online dating and gambling has become most lucrative online business that people now go into. Children of 12years now date online and participate in all kinds of online gambling and betting. Your children can even infect your computer with virus and other malicious codes that can make your computer malfunction.
The relevant authorities like Google have done their best to see they can rid offensive and mind corrupting content from the internet but cannot do much as they are only limited to exercise power over those that are connected to them one way or the other.
As it stands now, internet poses the greatest challenge to the upbringing of children. Parents are now at the verge of giving up to the struggle. A lot of parents have decided to leave everything to fate.
This is a bad approach as there are still much that parents can do to help bring up children that we all can be proud of as worthy ambassadors of our time and future generation.
MEASURES TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF INTERNET ON OUR CHILDREN
Educate them: educating your children on the negative effects of internet is the best way to safeguard your children from bad influences from the internet. Children learn best from their parents as God has made parents the first and best teachers of children. You can buy children educative programs that will bring out the negative effects of misuse of the internet by children.
Regulate their use of the internet: you and your children can reach a consensus on how the internet can be used. Threaten disconnecting from the internet if you ever discover that unsafe sites were accessed. Sit down with them to clearly define what the definition of unsafe site will include. Surprise them by mentioning the sites they visit each day. Just visit the history of the computer to find out what they have accessed. This will instill fear in them so that they will not have the mind of doing so in the future.
Working in collaboration with teachers: parents should have discussion with the teachers of their children. Tell the teachers the standard of internet access that can be given to the children.
Install software that restricts access to online content: One possible measure against children misuse of internet is to install softwares that prevent your computer to access websites with certain words that you need to specify in the software’s setting section. This is based on the assumption that your children only have access to the internet while at home and while in schools. Most schools now have all kinds of softwares preventing certain sites to be viewed.
Internet and children is a critical issue that every parent should always take serious.
