ON average, kids spend between 30 and 40 hours a week with television, movies, video and computer games and videotapes; these distractions have the potential to isolate and immerse them into sex, violence and materialism.

The following are facts every parent should be aware of when it comes to their children and the use of the Internet and the cellphone.

The dangers

. Meeting strangers online. Children said that they had been exposed to pornography while surfing. Others meet in person with a stranger they have met online.

. Erasing their tracks. Children between the ages of nine and 18 years old delete the search history from their browsers in an attempt to protect their privacy from their parents. Common filtering software may not be effective since children will access what they are looking for elsewhere – at a friend’s house, at an Internet café, or at school. And if the child accesses dangerous material outside of the home, parents will be unprepared and uninformed when it happens.

Parents are not as media-literate as they could be. They don’t have a handle on using popular online software and chat programmes, and tend to have no clue about what is really happening online. This lack of knowledge on the parents’ part may be no different from the situation before the advent of the Web. Parents don’t know what their children are doing on the Internet, just as they don’t know what goes on in class, at parties, or inside of clubs. Teens tend to speak in codes when they are sending instant messages and e-mails to friends.

Precautionary measures

Avoid dangers. Parents should give their children the tools to be literate Internet users, and to navigate around any potential dangers.

Parents need to talk to their children. The children need tools that teach them to be wary of dangers in the park, the mall or elsewhere. The same rules in the real world apply online as well. Under no circumstance should a child ever give strangers their private information over the Internet, or meet unsupervised with strangers.

Children should be encouraged to tell their parents about Internet encounters that make them uncomfortable

Meanwhile, parents should not disregard the advantages of the Internet. Some adults tend to forget that the Internet offers our children a source of independence, a way to explore the world, and helps them meet friends whom they could not meet in their real world.

Cellphone usage

. Parents should monitor the usage of calls and messages.

. Parents should monitor the number of hours spent on the phone.

. Parents should implement rules for their children when using cellphones such as a cut-off time for using the phone.

Cameras

. These can be used for pornography.

. With Bluetooth, it can be used to transfer pictures and clips to other phones with Bluetooth that are within range (though receiving parties may not be the intended recipient).

. Parents should avoid purchasing expensive phones for children.

. Avoid Bluetooth technology and cameras.

Theft

Children sometimes steal from parents and others to buy new ‘must have’ gadgets.

Information was gathered from the Churches Co-operative Credit Union’s parenting forum that was held in 2008.

Illustrate:

Websites to know about

. HI5.com

. Facebook.com

. MySpace.com

. Youtube.com

Search engine

. msn.com

. yahoo.com

Testimonials from last year’s parenting seminar

“In my 10 years of youth ministry, the Chucrhes Co-operative Credit Union parenting seminar was the best parenting seminar I have attended. The parents who attended have been telling other parents what they missed. I look forward with great anticipation, to this year’s seminar.”

– Sandra

“Our Churches Co-operative Credit Union parenting seminar was full of excellent information from a speaker who was passionate, compassionate, and had a great sense of humour. I am so thankful that we were able to host this seminar!”

– Andre

“I learnt so much from the Churches Co-operative Credit Union parenting seminar. Now my daughter and I communicate more and I am able to trust that she will not do the wrong thing. I highly recommend this seminar to all parents, because you may think you know all the issues, but you have no idea.”

– Dawn