Cyprus-Forum.com

[Maria28]

I just red the "Under 13 forum" thread.

It made me wonder if parents can control what their children read online. I would suspect that chat rooms were children can come into contact with strangers could potentially be even more harmful.

When we were children there was no internet. Not to mention there was just one TV channel. It was easier for our parents to control us then.

What is your opinion on this?

[Niki]

Hi Maria28

It was my daughter who wanted to use the forum but I have now decided against it.

It is such a shame isn't it - it would have helped her to get used to the idea of moving to Cyprus of she had chatted to other kids.

She and her friends use chatrooms all ther time in the UK but they all need passwords to access contact with each other which is fine. She even creates her own websites which I do have to watch as she in her 12 year old innocence trying to be grown up can often use provocative words.

I can't deny her the technology and creating her own website is far more than I could do so I don't want to restrict her too much but I do talk to her regularly about what she is saying and she is all too aware of 'nasty' men who pretend to be young girls following a number of cases in the newspapers.

A certain amount of exposure has to be allowed in order to teach them what is right and what is not.

Niki

[andri_cy]

Well there is evolution and you canty stop it. You cant stop your kids from using the internet either that would be lazy parenting. Like NIki said you cant deny them technology just because you have to watch them more carefully. True there was no internet when we were kids. But when our parents or their parents were kids, there was no tv or telephone or something that changed. Did that mean that our parents needed not let us watch tv or answer the phone? I think not. Of course here in the US I hear a lot about kids going to this specific website called myspace.com and gettig mixed up with perverts and what not. But the truth is it is not just the internet. It seems parents are more lax. They do not want to set limits. Nowadays we are more afraid that our kids will hate us than what will happen to them if we say no or enough. My daughter isnt old enough for the computer yet. But she does play sesame street games on there for now. When she is older, I will try use all the knowledge I have so she can be safe. But as internet and computers are big part of life, I am sure I will not be able to deny her using it altogether.