Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

I feel honoured to have been interviewed recently by the Young Reader Club in Singapore.

They asked me a series of good questions on blogging, children and the social media.

Since the questions are pretty much relevant to all of us, I feel I should share – from time to time – their questions and my personal answers to them.

Here’s one that I’d like to share with you today.

QUESTION:
“How should parents approach their child’s plea for a Facebook account or to own a smartphone?”

ANSWER:
First of all, parents should know the danger of the internet world.

Parents must always share such potential dangers to their children too : how today’s danger that we need to be aware of is not just in the ‘physical world’ but also in the ‘online world’.

Just like we must be aware of thieves, robbers, kidnappers, murderers, we must also be aware of the danger of online predators, bullies, including websites filled with ‘rubbish content and images’ that are out to ‘pollute’ people’s minds, hearts and thoughts.

Just like we must be aware of thieves, robbers, kidnappers, murderers, we must also be aware of the danger of online predators, bullies, including websites filled with ‘rubbish content and images’ that are out to ‘pollute’ people’s minds, hearts and thoughts.

Personally, I share this with my children, eg. How there are just so many things going on in the ‘online world’ that even adults can be deceived, tricked and robbed off their money, etc.

Browsing the internet freely, and owning a Facebook account is like putting oneself out there in the ‘cyber world’ that is full of such dangers, and young children will be ‘easy preys’ for these predators.

Explaining this to the children is very important. And, for the children to ‘accept’ the parents’ explanations, it’s important for the parents to have ‘positive and good’ relationships with the children to begin with. The children need to know that their parents genuinely care for their well-being.

Browsing the internet freely, and owning a Facebook account is like putting oneself out there in the ‘cyber world’ that is full of such dangers, and young children will be ‘easy preys’ for these predators.

For my case, I believe there’s no need for my children to have Facebook accounts right now.

Real friendships and interactions are the best and this should be encouraged more.

They can have their own Facebook account when their real age meets the minimum age requirement to open a Facebook account. And even then, I’d keep an open communication with them to ensure they’re aware of the danger of connecting with strangers, etc.

As to smartphones, to me … one needs to have a reason for owning one.

If there’s a need for the children to contact their parents from school, they can always use the school’s public phone. If they need to be in touch with the parents for some reasons (eg. Parents are away from the children due to work and other commitments), then a simple mobile phone with no internet access (eg. Pre-paid cards) can always be provided to these young children.

And why the ‘no internet’ mobile phones?

These days, children don’t need to ‘log into’ a computer or a laptop to freely browse the internet. They can do it conveniently from the very smartphones (or ipads, etc) their parents provide to them.

And again, as shared earlier, letting young children to freely browse the internet all on their own without our guidance and supervision (even for ‘school projects’) will expose them to serious dangers (eg. Obscene words, images and words).

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… if as a parent, we don’t allow our child to walk all alone in a deserted park at night for fear of their safety, then why would we allow them to freely surf the internet which can potentially harm the well-being of their mind, heart and soul?

If you ask me, as parents we must strive to always communicate with our children.

Continually learn to know their interest, control ‘how much time’ they spend on gadgets and of course, spend real time with them, so that they can see how we genuinely love them and care for their well-being.

As to danger of the online and offline world to young children?

Well, if as a parent, we don’t allow our child to walk all alone in a deserted park at night for fear of their safety, then why would we allow them to freely surf the internet which can potentially harm the well-being of their mind, heart and soul?

The danger is really all the same.

Actually, it’s worse when it comes to the online world.

Because the very danger is no longer outside the walls of our home. It’s very well inside.

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Let’s be seriously aware of the danger of today’s digital era.

For our children’s sake.