I bet thousands of dollars you cannot keep your hands off from the Internet. Using the Internet is like the way people in the modern society live and I can’t even count how many times I go online on each of everyday. The uses of the Internet are various, as well as quite advantageous. However, Have you ever thought about some bad aspects of it? The Internet can be dangerous, and especially to children. It is often said that letting children use the Internet, especially chatting, jeopardizes his or her safety. The following three reasons are why children should use the Internet under protection by parents.
The gap in technological knowledge between children and parents is one of the factors that contributes to the problems children may face in the Internet. Nowadays, kids are experts at using the Internet, and we sometimes find them do things online unexpectedly. Some are even quite familiar with creating or designing websites. However, some parents who are not as familiar with using the Internet as their pure evil children are unable to properly monitor online activities of their children. At the same time, children who are not in a proper monitor by their parents might face risky situations.
Moreover, there is a possibility that chat-friendly children without protection by their parents might become a victim of harassment or virtual stalking. It is highly advisable that parents be aware that the Internet is a playground for sexual offenders. These predators patiently observe and then choose their online victims. Then, they seduce these innocents with false assurances and may ask children to meet them face to face. This can lead to many potentially dangerous situations, such as kidnapping, and sexual child abuse.
In addition, online predators may solicit information from children, like addresses and phone numbers. If online predators get to know the information they need, they are likely to start stalking children. This puts, not only children, but also the whole family in danger. Therefore, virtual problems have every possibility of becoming real and every parent should keep that in mind.
To put together, parents worrying about their children’s online safety is unfounded and as the Internet is a dangerous place for adults, it is even more dangerous for children. I assume that one of the best ways to keep bad things from happening is to educate both children and parents. Children should be made aware of the situations they might fall into with online predators and it will be better if parents are taught the correct way to properly monitor their children’s online activities.
Ultari:
Why no strong thesis? Announcing there will be three reasons is not the same as stating the three reasons in a strong thesis.
Interesting hook, though a little bit ridiculous without some details. (You bet me? Who? How many thousands of dollars? Really? For how long would I have to stay offline?)
The problems you discuss seem to be to be part of the silly, alarmist fear of the net that dominates so many discussions today, especially those I hear in Korea. So:
1. There’s nothing we can do about the fact kids are mostly better with computers than we are. We may as well accept the fact, because it’s not going away. Someone will always find a way around our security. The solution to this problem will only be reasonable if it begins with accepting that kids will always, always get into stuff we would rather they didn’t. In other words, we can never fully “protect” our kids, so we need to arm them to protect themselves, or to know when they need to get help.
2. The idea that the net is a playground for perverts is a bit laughable given the fact that “Burberry men” often show up outside women’s schools or even women’s universities, and are tolerated. The reason people are worried about perverts online is mainly because it’s online; but the fact that nothing is done about catching, punishing, and preventing flashers at girls’ schools (by the many, many stories I’ve heard and read) suggests people don’t truly care that much about protecting kids in the abstract — they’re more excited to talk crap about a new piece of technology that makes them uncomfortable.
3. Finally, if you think monitoring a kid’s conversations online is even possible — time-wise, energy-wise, and so on — you know nothing about having kids. (I know only a tiny bit more, not having kids myself, but I know that no parent has time to do that.) As usual, the urge to micromanage one’s child’s life must be resisted, in favor of educating kids about danger. What parents need to do is to push schools to provide relevant curriculum to children, but also to spend actual time talking to their kids about this stuff. No kid should be unaware of the risks of giving information to strangers. If we educate kids, they will understand. (Just like kids of my generation were taught by parents, teachers, and even visiting police officers at the school, to shout “STRANGER DANGER!” and run away if a strange adult approached them, or drove up near them in a car.) The system is not 100% perfect, but it’s better than spying on your own kid and hoping you’re lucky enough to catch the times when he or she does what you never taught him or her not to do.