The advancement of technology brought with it both positive and negative influences. While many kids learn and gain knowledge through the Internet, some children have been negatively influenced by the things they consume on the Internet.
Research has shown how kids get exposed to inappropriate content online and the need to keep an eye on them. However, most parents are unaware of the harm their negligence or ignorance may portend for their children.
Speaking on the issue, a mother, Blessing Aiyegbeni, stated that problems related to inappropriate content online could be solved through the internet too. She noted that when a problem was spotted, many times, the solution to such a problem would be on the Internet too.
She said, “On my child’s Internet access, I use Google parental control. With this activated on his device, I am able to monitor the activities and all he does on the phone from my phone. For example, his email is logged in on my phone, to easily monitor Google activities from there. With the parental control activated, the content he is exposed to are limited to his age because most of these websites are respectively rated.”
Aiyegbeni added that though some websites don’t indicate age limit, she stated that timely monitoring would help her keep her son in check in case of trespassing.
On his part, a doctor and mathematician, Abdulmojeed Olayinka, stated that rather than using a popular parenting style such as going hard and strict on the kids to keep them in check, he advised parents to adopt a better approach to handling situations with kids.
He said, “To prevent a child from engaging in any wrongful and ill-moral act, there must exist the primary understanding of proper guidance to act rightly as against wrongly engaging in what they are curious about or accidentally stumble upon. There should be a respectful and moral parenting value instilled in the children, even without trying to dictate to them what to watch”.
“Authoritarian parents make their kids receive communication only from one side with no consideration about their emotional and psychological needs. Respectful and moral parenting value will ensure that kids become independent, understanding and rational beings; making right decisions under supervision or without it depending on their age.’’
The father of three noted that every nation has its own unique parental values implying that every parent cannot follow the same pattern to guide their kids because humans are different with diverse perspectives.
Olayinka said, “Parents must endeavour to practice what truly they wish the kids to do because kids genuinely and intuitively learn from them. Maybe with a little spirituality now, parents must learn to pray for their kids’ uprightness and divine guidance. Also, it is every parent’s responsibility to teach their kids correct values, skills and encourage them to exhibit morality at all times. This can be easier if parents spend quality time with their children, watching cartoons and other educational programmes with them.”
He noted that parents must be steadfast enough to teach their kids how things could be done better, while letting them know that they can turn to them for help. Olayinka further said that by engaging in online activities together with the kids, it would create an avenue to teach them everything before learning outside.
Source: Punch