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It's quite easy to restrict access to kid's devices. We use Google family and the kids all hate us because they have to ask our permission whenever they want to
by kypro 4y ago
It's quite easy to restrict access to kid's devices. We use Google family and the kids all hate us because they have to ask our permission whenever they want to install anything. We also get to see activity reports and we talk to them often about bad people online and why they need to be careful.
I understand you can't monitor a child 24/7, but you can be careful with what devices children have access to and what they can and can't do on those devices.
It's also worth remembering that the criticisms of social networks and calls for more monitoring of private communication can be applied to any crime. Do we want Facebook reporting people who it suspects could be committing a "hate-crime" for example? What about drug users, is that Facebook's responsibility too?
At the end of the day parents have to accept some responsibility to protect their own children. Yes, it's hard to do perfectly, but allowing a 12 yo to use social media then meet up with a stranger they met online seems like a total failure on the parent's part here. It's like letting a 5 year old play outside then once the kid gets hit by a car complaining that the cars are the problem because car manufactures care more about selling transportation devices than protecting kids. If you let your children chat to strangers and meet up with people they don't know then bad stuff will likely happen no matter what form of communication they're using.
- scarface74 4y agoDo your kids have friends? I can guarantee you that they are using their friends devices.
- vorpalhex 4y agoWhich is fine because as op explained, they talked to their kids and explained the issue of people online being nefarious. In no realm of security do we depend on slapping computers out of peoples hands and telling them not to do something. Don't do it with your kids security either.
- giantg2 4y agoI look at that kind of like, do you eat junk/fast food all the time at home, or just occasionally when you go out? It's going to do a lot more harm if it's constant vs a few cheat meals here or there. Same concept for limiting device time and privileges. Also, it can help to know what restrictions the friends have and talk to their parents. At least in my day this was done to make sure there weren't any obvious physical dangers. Or has getting to know the parents of your kid's friends gone out of fashion?
- scarface74 4y agoCan you really talk to all of the parents of all of the kids your child goes to school with and spend time with?
- giantg2 4y agoOstensibly locations like school and other organized activities have some level of direct supervision. Private situations like being at another's home is more where this come into play. That's more likely to be where a kid has access and opportunities for things like alcohol, drugs, weapons, misuse of the internet etc.
- scarface74 4y agoWhen was the last time you were in school? Drug use is endemic inside schools. It’s swept under the rug better in suburbia. With everyone having a phone, internet access can happen everywhere.
- giantg2 4y ago"Drug use is endemic inside schools." Some schools, maybe. It wasn't that long ago since I went to one. I also know teachers, resource officers, etc who currently work there. We also weren't allowed to use phones in class. If kids were caught, they would be disciplined. We also had periodic random drug screenings and search dogs.