Filed under: Internet, Social Software
Parents think internet is dangerous for children
The C.S. Mott Children's Hospital conducted a survey to determine what US parents thought were serious health threats to children. The results read kind of like the old Sesame Street's "One of these things is not like the other" segment. A quick glance at the top 10 reveals:
- Smoking
- Drug/Alcohol Abuse
- Teen Pregnancy
- The Internet
- School Violence
Wait, the Internet? Yes. The Internet. Not only was it on the list, it was ranked above school violence, sexually transmitted infection, and abuse and neglect, and essentially tied with teen pregnancy. And while it's true that a child can run into some danger on the internet -- often by revealing too much personal information on netoworking sites like MySpace -- it is far more likely that a child will be abused or abducted by a family member or a close family friend. The internet gets such a bad rap. Of course, one can assume that part of this result can be attributed to recent media attention, including the disturbing though ultimately unintentionally funny "To Catch a Predator" from Dateline. It's scary to see what these guys are intending to do, but it is hilarious to see these idiots try to logically justify why they're at a child's house in the middle of the night.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
a said 9:46AM on 5-07-2007
The internet is a bigger health threat then abuse and neglect. Utterly ridiculous. What is wrong with people? There are thousands of children in this country being physically and mentally abused by family and friends, every day! Do you think they are going to grow up and be normal adults or pill popping, loners who take guns into schools and office buildings?
Maybe the internet could be considered a "health" risk because it causes inactivity but if so then watching t.v., playing video games, and even reading should be ranked right beside it.
I just hope the people answering these questions aren't the ones who are neglecting or abusing their children and can't see the tree for the forest.
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hcetrepus said 10:44AM on 5-07-2007
The internet IS a bigger problem than abuse and neglect in MY family. Abuse and neglect do not exist in my house, but alas, there are three computers, 2 that connect wirelessly. While I may not have a real concern that a stalker will lure my daughter out of the house, I am VERY concerned at the negative impact that many facets of the world wide web can have and currently have on people. There are no standards to prevent people from using vulgar language and mannerisms because on the internet and in chat rooms and blogs, there is no accountability for ones actions.
Yes, I have a greater concern that Myspace will corrupt my kids and lead to other negative venues than other health risks. The internet, with all the potential in the world, is a sad sad misuse of technology.
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zizzy said 12:01PM on 5-07-2007
Recent events have nothing to do with it - Virginia Tech, the biggest school shooting in US history, just happened, and Internet is still above school violence.
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peter.white said 12:05PM on 5-07-2007
The survey was conducted in March, just before the Virginia Tech incident, so one can safely assume that it had little effect on the results.
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archer said 12:19PM on 5-07-2007
anyone not understanding the danger of unrestricted access to the www by children either doesn't have any, doesn't know any, is simply clueless about the delicate nature of childood innocence, or all of the above.
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leandra said 5:23PM on 5-07-2007
as a parent of a 13 yr old, my concerns are less about influence or being stalked by someone crazy. i educate her on being safe online and have raised her with values that will be influenced by many things, the internet being the least of my worries.
the real issue to me is one of addiction and reduced connection to the physical world. the internet and its constant spectator oriented entertainment and values of instant gratification are the issues I am grappling with.
as a 13 yr old i was never at home, always with my friends, working on interesting projects that evolved my intellect and real world skills. i was athletic, played outside, and had many interests.
my 13 yr old is an internet whiz kid. she can code, she socializes alot online, she sits for hours and hours looking at friends pages, watching videos, reading fan zines, etc. I have to very strictly and zealously enforce internet hours (much like some parents do with TV) otherwise she would be on the computer ALL the time. she would have zero social skills, her health would decline as she hunches in dark rooms in front of a monitor, she would be unable to create anything real with her hands. as it is, i have to guide her into finding interests away from the computer and reward her these discoveries about what she loves.
to me this is why the internet is dangerous to kids' health..not stalkers and online porn. those are easy to solve. but the long term effect of growing up in front of computer will have a much greater impact on her generation unless parent are diligent about enforcing balance in their kids lives.
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