Teaching About Internet Safety

For my internet safety teaching assignment I talked with a mother who is in her 40’s and who has two children living at home. When I asked what she had been told about internet safety, she knew that it was important to keep the computer in an open area and to have a filter.

I shared with her what I learned from the Provident Living website on pornography. Some of the items on the list that we discussed were only using the internet for specific purposes and not surfing the net. Her daughter who is 11, learned about youtube from her friends. The mother came home one day to find the girl surfing through youtube movies. The mother established rules about youtube.

I also shared with her about how it is important to teach children not only about the dangers of pornography, but also what to do if it is encountered. Part of the problem of the addiction of porn is the feelings of shame and guilt. By teaching children to turn off the computer immediately and to tell a parent about it, helps reduce these feelings of shame and guilt.

We had a great discussion about being addicted to the computer. Her son who is 15 comes home from school and gets on the computer. Luckily he is in track, but she is worried about him. Technology is a good thing, but it can be overused by teens.