Is Your Child Ready for an Internet-Enabled Device?

Recognizing the dangers of technology when in the hands of today’s kids.

By Jesse Weinberger

If you’re wondering if your child is ready for a smartphone or other Internet-enabled digital device, you’re actually asking the wrong question. You should ask yourself, “Am I as a parent prepared to take on the added responsibility of having candid digital safety conversations with my child, setting and monitoring limits, and engaging in a constant campaign of education and engagement?”

Are you ready to hear the dirty little secret about device ownership that no one tells parents? Your child’s teacher, guidance counselor, principal and law enforcement officers really wish that you would not give a web-enabled device to your children (especially age 13 and younger). The potential benefits are outweighed by the potential risks.

Your child’s brain is not equipped to handle independent and unsupervised use of the Internet via most devices. The frontal lobe of the brain, which regulates executive function and impulse control, is not done developing until age 25.

This is the part of the brain, which as an adult (hopefully), warns you against eating an entire gallon of ice cream.

Kids don’t have the cognitive or emotional maturity to recognize and avoid digital risks. Any browser-enabled device (smartphone, game console, tablet, e-book reader) brings the entire world into your child’s back pocket.

There are many dangers with these devices, if not properly monitored. Here are a few that parents should be aware of when considering these types of devices for their children.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullies live in every kind of neighborhood and eat at every kind of dinner table. In fact, in almost 50 percent of cases, the “cyberbully” is your child’s closest friend. Conversely, 58 percent of children report engaging in cyberbullying behavior as “revenge” because they were victimized in the past. By providing your child with an unsupervised and unmonitored device, you are essentially making your child available as a potential victim or intimidator.

Sexting and Graphic Material

Ranking highest in the “disturbing” category is the trend of graphic material consumption by very young children. Given the easy access of this content online, it should not be surprising that it’s being consumed by children as early as age 8. In addition, sexting, which is the electronic transmission of sexual content via photos and words has become a bit of an epidemic among children starting in the fifth grade. Nationwide, children are being indicted on felony child pornography charges for taking and sharing photos of themselves.

Sexual Predation

The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that there are 750,000 sexual predators online at any given moment. As you would probably expect, these individuals congregate on platforms and games where children are frequent visitors. When your child plays on an otherwise benign app or game, sexual predators may have the opportunity to “chat” with your child via the game’s interface. Every prosecutor’s office in the country has an ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) division. In almost every single case, 80 percent of their resources are spent in trying to combat the never-ending caseload of Internet-born sex crimes against children, even very young children.

Use of Social Media

Children 13 and younger are not meant to have social media accounts, according to The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, a set of guidelines created by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Social media sites that are not appropriate for children are Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and more.

Protecting Your Children

When you decide to gift your child a web-enabled device, you agree to take on the load of consistent engagement and supervision. If you are unwilling or unable to have frequent candid conversations with your child about these issues, you might want to rethink if he or she should own a device.

You Already Bought the Device — Now What?

If you have already purchased a digital device, there are ways you can prevent your children from entering the danger zone. Go to the “settings” section of most devices to make the following changes.

• For children ages 13 and younger, block browser access — younger children should NOT have unrestricted access to the web. Also, block access to YouTube, specifically with a password.
• Block your child’s ability to install and delete apps without your password; this way you will have the opportunity to review the types of apps they want to install.
• Snoop, snoop, snoop. Grab the phone or device out of your child’s hands randomly and review every social media account, game and texts for their latest activity. Plan on doing this at least twice a week.
• No devices in bedrooms overnight. Set up a central plug-in station in the kitchen. (The same goes for guests at a sleepover hosted in your home.)
• Have the “three conversations.” Parents need to discuss: sexual predation, sexting and cyberbullying with any child who has unrestricted access to a device. Either have the conversations or take away the devices.
• Share news stories related to Internet safety, where developmentally appropriate. When the consequences of poor choices reach the “news” level, it’s a great lesson for digitally savvy kids.

Jesse Weinberger from OvernightGeek University is an Internet safety speaker for schools, parents, teachers and organizations, and author of “The Boogeyman Exists: And He’s In Your Child’s Back Pocket.”