For many teens, the Internet is their first real opportunity to spread their wings and fly away from home. It is especially appealing because they can do this privately and without having to leave home physically. Surfing the web in safety should be a priority for everyone. Teens have a particular form of vulnerability. They have reached that point in life where they are searching for a personal identity and have a feeling of being invulnerable.
These two traits make teens easy prey for certain types of predators. The teen can get the stroking of their ego from the anonymous person on the other side of the computer screen while putting off a powerful persona. The person on the other end knows what bait will most likely hook the teen and allow him or her to be reeled in.
Teens are looking for the acceptance that is offered in the web community. When confidence levels rise high enough, a teen can be tempted to venture away from the web and into the real world. That feeling of personal power causes them to step beyond the limits of safety before they realize that they are in trouble.
Because of this, parents need to protect their teens. This begins with teaching him or her the basics of what to do and not do when online . In addition to this, parents need to be vigilant in monitoring the young person's activity when on the computer. Software is available at a reasonable cost that will both block undesirable viewing and record keystrokes and sites that are visited by each user.
Teens can be vulnerable users. Defensive work is needed when online to stay protected from predators. The best way to cover these is a simple list. Here are the primary areas to watch:
- Never give your real name and address to strangers or unsecured sites.
- Never arrange meetings with people met online in private places.
- t is best to meet strangers from the Internet by having several friends or your parents with you.
- Do not share personal information like age, location, or phone numbers.
- Ask potential contacts hard questions. If the answers contradict, stop communicating with that person.
- Keep a firewall active to prevent strangers from learning personal information by invading your computer.
- Do not share pictures of you that includes your face with strangers.
- Do not visit adult oriented dating sites or unsecured chat rooms.
By just using a little common sense and paying attention, the web is a pretty safe place to inhabit. However, just a moment or two of mental let down can cost you personal safety. Talk to your teen about what is being viewed online. If he or she becomes defensive or secretive, take this as a warning flag and begin to monitor the computer use more closely.
