Kids In Cyberspace - A Guide for Parents and Teachers

Long term computer use can lead to various health problems well documented by the medical profession, including symptoms of ADHD, eye problems, repetitive strain injuries on wrists and hands and back problems from poor posture.

 Advice re Internet Addiction

Teach and enforce strict time management for your child's time online.

Encourage meaningful activity online just as offline, rather than hours spent aimlessly chatting about nothing. Require socialization/play offline, i.e. Away from the computer. This can be part of the agreement about having the Internet in the first place - your child must not only maintain school grades but must also maintain offline social commitments to sport, youth clubs, community service etc.

Keep the computer in a shared living area of the house, as opposed to a bedroom, so that your child can not become isolated and lost in cyberspace.

Know that software exists to assist with time management online, including programmable automatic shutdown at designated times.

Watch for the warning signs of Internet addiction. KEEP A BALANCED LIFESTYLE!!!

Internet Romance

Part of online socialization in chat areas for young teens will inevitably be romance. It is natural that teens will bring their offline interests into the online world. As a result some teens today are dating online BEFORE their parents have given them permission to begin dating offline. For an increasing number of young teens, their FIRST romance will be an online one.

Teens online are often interacting not with their peer group (as they are at school), but with teens much older than they, or with adults. They make the mistake of trusting online friends too easily, forgetting that online anyone can pretend to be anything.

While a relationship online can not become physical, the conversation can by mutual consent become highly sexually oriented. The rapid development of intimacy can fool teens into thinking they know a person better than they really do. In some cases teens may make decisions to meet offline. They may travel to visit, or even run away with their online "partner". While this does not always mean abduction or rape as a consequence, the risk is always there.

Advice re Romance Online

Educate your teens about online romance issues. Set boundaries on the teen's behavior online in this area. Establish a means whereby you can share knowledge of your teen's online experience, including friends. A teen's online life should not become a secret to be withheld from you the parent. Know how to safely verify a teen's online friend. Know to meet safely if an offline meeting is agreed upon. If offline meetings with online friends are arranged, ensure they are in daytime, in a public place, and never alone.