Unless, parents or responsible adults start to realize their digital responsibility when allowing children use of the new media technologies they will help contribute to the loss of innocence of countless children. Unsupervised or unprepared children will explore areas of the Internet, which are unacceptable for their age and maturity.
Kids are tech savvy and all too familiar with how to Google. Imagine your child hears something said which he or she is unfamiliar with, and instead of asking you, the parent, the child Googles the word. However, in this example the word or phrase being searched is something that would never be said in your home. Guess where your child might end up and what perversion they may be exposed to…could be anything.
More than 90 percent of teens in the United States have access to the Internet and about half use social networking sites, like MySpace. Several areas of risky behavior children will engage in are sexual behaviors, substance abuse, and violence.
Do you understand what the real candy being offered to your children on the Internet is? In the book, "Don't Take Candy From Strangers" - What Every Parent Should Know deals with MySpace and how to keep your children safe. The risks to a child who is starving for attention is a situation you do not want your child your susceptible to.
Many teens will divulge information pertaining to their sexual behaviors, their use of drugs, or verbalizing strong language of dislikes towards others. Sharing the later information on social network sites exposes your child to the wrong kind of Internet candy offered by strangers. Violence causes more injury and death in children, teenagers, and young adults than infectious disease, cancer, or birth defects.
