Your Child vs The Internet

By Ozanay Vicks

The last thing any parent wants is to have their child on social media talking to strangers and giving out personal information. Unfortunately, that's exactly what their child is doing. A lot of parents may warn their kids of the dangers of talking to strangers online, dating online. and overall posting things on social media sites. But lets face it, children just don't like authority. Whether or not you want your child to indulge in the magical goodness of social media, they'll do it anyway.

As a teenager myself I can recall a time when my parents told me not to make a Facebook page. The next day, feeling a little rebellious, I created a page. I was so scared but ecstatic at the same time because all of my friends had Facebook pages and now I could finally be one with my clique. I can remember getting numerous friend request of people I didn't know and accepting them without a second thought. I felt cool and me and my friends finally had something to talk about.

The one thing parents don't understand however, is that kids dislike authority to the highest degree. You may tell them no, but they'll just do it behind your back. I feel that parents who give their children to much privacy privilege will only end up with their child in dangerous situations. Situations that may end with their child exchanging nudes with strangers, dating older people, and being cyberbullied. However, I do believe that parents who do give their child privacy privilege may form a somewhat stronger bond due to the trust in the relationship.

Parents, I advise you to keep a close eye on your kids if they have social media. Keep an eye on serious cyberbullying signs and ask them of their activities online. Doing a weekly check on their phone wont hurt anyone. They may be a little upset but they'll understand when they get older. Good luck and stay safe !