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Kim Komando News of the Day
Teach kids to use
tech wisely
5/20/2011
Q. I’m putting together a computer training course for parents and
teens. Part of the course will be about staying safe online. What
topics do you think I should cover? Thanks for your input!
-Jane from Roswell, NM, listens to my national radio show on KBIM 910 AM
A. Every child needs to be taught how to use tech the right way.
Unfortunately, many parents are unprepared for the task. They’re often
struggling to understand the latest gadgets and gizmos. They’re not
aware of all the dangers that technology presents.
Far too often I hear from parents when it’s too late. It’s only when
Little Johnny or Janey gets in trouble that they reach out for help.
Of course, we hear a lot about kids getting in trouble with the
Internet and cellphones. They get suspended from school for comments
they’ve posted online. They use their cellphones to send nude pictures
of themselves. And they bully their classmates online.
The effects are often immediate. But they can also be long-lasting.
That’s because anything posted online never truly goes away. Future
employers could potentially see all the careless Facebook comments and
risque photos.
Fortunately, you can teach teens to be smart with technology. You need
to start by talking to them about the risks. Pull stories from the
news. It’s a great way to have the point hit home.
My father used to do this with me. He’d cut a story out of the
newspaper about a tragic car crash involving a teen. He’d stuff the
story in my backpack so I would find it. Or he would ask me to read it
in front of him and tell me how the kids could have avoided the
accident.
You know what, I do the same thing with my 10-year-old son with things
that happen on the Internet. We talk about cyberbullying, bad guys
online, Facebook do’s and don’ts and more that he has not even been
exposed to yet. My hope is that when and if a situation happens, he’s
prepared on how to deal with it.
There are a lot of threats out there. This list of topics will be a
rather long one. You’ll probably need multiple classes to cover it all.
Many of these topics aren’t cut and dried. There are some hard and fast
rules, but also many gray areas. Parents will need to work with their
teens on making wise decisions.
Let’s start with one topic that is cut and dried, however. I’m talking
about texting while driving. The rule for this is simple: Don’t do it!
That goes for teens and adults.
Read the complete article at Kim Komando News of the Day
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