Does the Online World Influence Your Child, Tween or Teen? You Bet It Does!
What Kind of Influence is the Online World Having On Your Child? The internet has its good side. It can be entertaining and educational, and can open up new worlds for kids, giving them a chance to travel the globe virtually, learn about different cultures, and gain exposure to ideas they may never encounter at home or in their own community. Sites with a pro-social message can have a positive impact on a child, tween or teens behavior. There are sites/games/apps that teach and even promote antisocial behaviors such as aggression or cyberbullying but there are sites/apps that teach...
Read MoreA Grandfather’s Story – His Granddaughter’s Close Encounter Online
What can happen when a 12 year old is online without any parental supervision? Today a grandfather of a 12 year old tween told me his story. While his granddaughter was visiting he discovered that she was chatting with a 19 year old man that had friended her on Facebook. This girl had plans to meet up with this “friend.” This grandfather said that his daughter and husband didn’t pay attention to what their kids do online. He was incensed by this situation and said he wanted to “pummel” the 19 year old who was taking advantage of his sweet, naive granddaughter. He was able...
Read MoreA Child’s Natural Curiosity May Lead to Trouble Online
A child’s curiosity is a wonderful thing… A person’s mind develops the most their formative years and has a tremendous influence on the rest of their life. Right from infancy, curiosity plays a big role in a person’s life. It is curiosity which leads people towards sources of knowledge. When a child is young, he or she learns primarily from their parents. As they enter school, their circle of knowledge grows to their teachers, peers and life experiences. In today’s digitally dominated world the internet is a leading source of information for children, tweens, teens and adults...
Read MorePrinting Press to Apps. Oh How The World Has Changed!
Printing Press to Apps The advent of the printing press was a major mass communication revolution which permanently altered the structure of society as ideas and information began to transcend borders. With the advent of the internet, social networking and apps and the multiple devices available today to access the internet we have another revolution taking place that is also transcending borders. This includes the borders of our homes, schools, libraries, cars, …small towns, big cities, countries across the globe, wherever a person happens to be located. The ease with which information is at our...
Read MoreWhat Kind of Parent Are You…. Online?
What Kind of Parent Are You… Online? Every child is different. Kids don’t fit in a box any more than parents fit in a box. Any parent knows that parenting styles are not exact and that there are blurred lines between parenting styles. It’s still important to think about what kind of parenting style you ascribe to. Are you the same kind of parent online that you are offline? Are you teaching online safety and behavior skills just like you teach offline safety and behavior skills? There are Different Parenting Styles… 1. Authoritarian 2.Authoritative 3. Permissive...
Read MoreApps, Tweens and Teens: A Risky Combo
It may be hard to keep up with new apps that kids are using as new apps are growing at what feels like Star Trek warp speed. But it’s not hard to ask and answer the right questions and talk to your tween or teen about apps and online safety. Most parents are very familiar with the apps Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. What are some of the other most popular apps for teens? What should parents think about when it comes to apps and online safety and what should they be talking to their kids about? What Type of App is it? Parents and kids need to think about the type of app it is. Is it a...
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