The Danger of the Internet

There was an article in the NZ Herald the other day about a documentary made by a Kiwi mum and dad. The title of the documentary is “Our Kids Online: Porn, Predators & How to keep them safe.” Their goal: to show parents how easily accessible porn is online for kids, and the danger of online predators.

It apparently came about as a result of their kids wanting devices, and their own subsequent research into internet safety. I haven’t watched it yet, but just reading the NZ Herald article has confirmed for me our own cautious approach to media and the internet.

Unfortunately, many parents seem to be unaware of these dangers. It’s so important that we share this information with other parents so that our kids can be kept safe! Even if it doesn’t entrap our own kids, chances are their friends or future spouses could be affected.

Here are a few suggestions that may help our kids to avoid porn:

• Put filters on your internet
• Have strict rules around internet use – e.g. only with permission
• Only allow internet/computer access in a public space such as the living room
• Don’t give them a mobile phone with internet access, until they have the maturity to use it appropriately
• Teach them about the dangers of porn before they come across it, so they know to watch out for it and avoid it at all costs
• Prep them to come and tell you if they ever come across it e.g. at school or at a friend’s place. Make sure they know they won’t get into trouble for telling you.
• Talk to the parents of your kids’ friends about internet safety to ensure they’re on the same page

One of the hardest parts of this for parents is the peer pressure. All kids want to be like their friends, to have smart phones like their peers. The question is, are we as parents willing to risk terrible harm caused by exposure to porn or sexual predators, or cyber bullying for the sake of our kids being cool? They will have many friends, but we are the only parents they’ll have. We are the ones who truly have their best interests at heart.