Mad Life
It's a different world today than when we were kids. Today kids have Facebook, Instagram, texting and more. How often do you check in on your kids internet and cell phone activities? Do you think they deserve privacy? Or do you think it's your job to track them on a daily basis?
Replies
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Internet wise? They really aren't on teh internet because they are so young, but I plan to have a big presense online with them when they do. I want them to know that its a social thing and I have to know what's going on.
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I feel that in general, children need some level of privacy.
Now when it comes to the computer and cell phones and whatnot, I feel they SHOULD be monitored.
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I absolutely check on my kids' online activities. I keep an eye on my kids' rooms, stuff, whatever. It is my job to protect them and guide them. I can't keep them safe if I know what they're doing.
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Mine arent old enough for any of that yet, but i plan to keep a close eye. -
Privacy is a right. Rights are for people. Children are not people...not yet. Teenagers are closer to people than children so they get some privacy, but like Chuck, I reserve the right to be all up in their mix for random checks and especially if there are some behaviour concerns that I have.
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My kid's are too young still so when they use the Internet, it's with me right there.
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None. Well, almost none. They have their rooms, but they know at any given moment, we (hubby and I) have a right to look through said room, but they haven't given me a reason to do so. As for anything internet, it has to always be approved by either hubby or I. If we find out they are doing things on the internet that we don't know about, then they loose their priveldges.
We start all accounts and information is set up to go directly to my account so I can monitor everything. But, they have yet to give us a reason not to trust them with the internet. But, they also don't have their own FB account, no Twitter account. The only reason my son has an email account is for school.
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I believe that it is my job to ensure that my children are not exposed to the filth that can be on the internet. As such, we have tight controls on internet access period. (If we don't "allow" the sight through our parental control program, then they can't go to it. Still, we require them to be in the room with us if they are online.)
As far as Facebook & other accounts online go, we require the password. (They can select it, but must let us know what it is. They also can change it at any time so long as they let us know first that they are changing it & what they're changing it to.)
They are fully aware that we can (& will) check their accounts at any time & for whatever reason. This includes any online account from PopTropica & Club Penguin to email, Facebook, Twitter, & YouTube. With YouTube, we don't allow uploading of any videos without us viewing them first. They also aren't allowed carte blanche access to YouTube. We have to override the parental controls each time they access it & they must sit beside us while they are using it.
The kids only have a basic, ancient flip-phone that they share. We have parental controls where they can only call or text numbers that we specifically allow. For their iPods, we have restrictions on them as well. Safari & YouTube aren't allowed. Neither is the app store unless we allow access, approve what they're adding, & then immediately unallow access.
That being said, we do respect our children's privacy. My kids know that we have the right, as their parents, to read their journals should we feel the need to do so...but they also know that we won't unless we feel there is just cause. That's part of respecting their privacy. In the same way, if an e-mail or text is from someone we know, then I'm not going to read it unless I have just reason to do so. I retain the right to do so, but will respect their privacy as much as I can. If there's an e-mail address or name that we don't recognize, however, then we will read that e-mail or message & will continue to do so until we personally meet the person with whom our child is messaging.
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I have any & all passwords and they know at any time I can randomly check.
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I have the passwords to email/facebook accts. I DO check periodically.