The generation gap has been a real pain in the butt, especially after the advent of internet. Generation X values were particularly different about raising kids. They believed only in the right moral values that were needed to be inculcated in the kids. But then internet happened, and we hear new story every day about teens getting bullied, harassed and sexually abused. Nowadays, even if your kid talks about travelling alone on a Subway, you would freak out.
Parents need to be more concerned with their kids staring at their phones all the time, but that still isn’t happening widely. They believe that their kids should not be allowed to go into the park alone, but are allowed un-tethered online access.
The questions needs to be asked: how well are you aware of your kids’ online behavior?
But the conversation about monitoring teens’ online behavior is taking on some heat. Some parents advocate instilling moral values in their child as the prerequisite of safe online behavior, while others resort to something stricter, like parental controls to build a wall between their child and the social media. And for some, they would do nothing. I can’t really argue over some parents’ apathetic behavior, but this attitude only breaks when something bad happens. I am also not openly advocating that helicopter parenting is the solution, it’s just is that parents need to be aware of their kids’ online interests.
Internet—it’s more than just about “don’t talk to strangers”
The thing is that parents don’t know the specifics of the internet and its dangers. They just know generally that it’s dangerous, but have no skills or knowledge to educate their kids with digital etiquettes. We live in a weird space, where parents simply procrastinate learning about the internet. Fear is an important factor that drives learning about our teens’ online behavior. Parents always care about their kids’ safety, but fear shouldn’t be the driving force, but rather, emotional intelligence. Teens are prone to internet traps of nudity, predating and bullying, and very few of them really know the repercussions of their online activities.
Parental control apps could help, somehow
I had a very active relationship with my 15-year-old son, and we talk about everything, like online behavior, and how it can affect his college applications in the future. He understands this, but not everything else.
An app like Trackmyfone can tell you about your kids’ social media accounts, internet browsing history and emails they send to people. These smartphone monitoring apps can give parents a vital headstart to initiate conversations with their kids. It can also tell parent how their kids have been doing online and if they ever need an intervention.
But remember: an app like trackmyfone can only tell you about the your teen’s online behavior, but the most imperative part lies with informing and educating your kids, or they will never understand what can possibly go wrong in the future.
Start taking your kids’ internet use seriously, it’s important!
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