The computer is a necessary tool in almost every homestead and business set-up due to its flexibility. It is used to conduct business, communicate with family and friends, complete projects, research, play games among other things. With the advent of the Internet and the Information Age, the youth are being bombarded with all kinds of facts from various sources be they legitimate or otherwise. As a result, parents are finding it increasingly difficult in keeping track of their kid’s online activities resulting in a potential catastrophe should this trend go unchecked.
Due to an upsurge in cyber-crime and exposure to pornography, parents the world over are forced to monitor their children’s activity using very crude methods normally without their kid’s knowledge. Following major debate on this issue, we are compelled to question whether parents have the right to monitor their children on the Internet. Critics claim that snooping behind our children’s backs is an infringement of their Constitutional right to privacy and as a result, illegal. However in my opinion, the stakes are too high to be ignored; as the adage goes, better safe than sorry.
Are parents aware of what their kids are exposed to on the Internet? Have you ever thought of how harmful some of the content online could be to the wellbeing of teens? The Internet is equally as dangerous as it is useful. It exposes youth to harmful content and at the same time makes them vulnerable to exploitation. Pedophiles and other sexual predators can easily stalk kids whilst hiding under the veil of anonymity since it is difficult to verify the identity of the person you are communicating with.
If the youth are exposed to dangerous data on the Internet, we could as well be raising a society of delinquents and social misfits. According to the National Crime Squad, there has been a rise in the number of child pornography cases in the UK. This is partly because children are being exposed to the cyber world at a tender age, some as young as two years. This trend has forced the government to set up and enforce strict regulations such as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act to help protect kids online.
With emphasis being on controlling access to specific sites, the best way parents can ensure their children are protected while online is by being present with them as they access the Internet (Roddel, 2006). However, this may not be practical and hence parents can utilize firewall software, key-loggers and parental controls. Firewall software and parental controls prevent access to harmful or adult sites while key loggers monitor all websites visited and keeps a record of keystrokes in a hidden part of the computer disk thereby enabling the parent to retrieve whatever the child has typed while they were online.
With all these resources at their disposal, parents can help their kids manage their time well. How so? Well, putting restrictions on harmful sites will discourage the child from wandering haphazardly online, thereby constructively utilizing their time and as a result nurturing decency and responsibility in kids.
In spite of all the dangers lurking on the Internet, the behavior of children online has been a contributing factor to the rise in cybercrime. Their inquisitive nature and a quest for adventure may direct kids to venture into devious sites that demonstrate how to build and use weaponry, indulge in drugs or even sites that discuss methods of committing suicide.
Shockingly, these sites are well maintained with some even having online clubs where members can get acquainted to one another, get brainwashed and proceed to commit heinous crimes that lead to mass destruction. This being the case, parents are required to take charge of their children not only in terms of physical welfare but also social and spiritual wellbeing. Roddel (2006) acknowledges that cyber stalking is a real threat, just as devastating as a stalker in the physical world only that they use a different approach – computer with Internet connection. This makes them harder to detect.
In conclusion, cybercrime is not about to cease anytime soon; not with the pace at which technology is developing. In addition, our need for communication as humans has led to the growth of the Internet as people who are physically dispersed can connect despite being miles apart. Social Networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook are among the fastest growing online sites which prove that in the Information Age, communication is a basic need so to speak. However, proper regulation has to be enforced especially regarding child protection. Parents on the other hand should take responsibility and control the content which their kids are exposed to online so as to prevent their exploitation.
Reference
Roddel, V. (2006). Internet Safety Family Guide. Morrisville, NC: Lulu Press Publishers.