According to Dr. Tanya Byron, “Research is beginning to reveal that people act differently on the internet and can alter their moral code, in part because of the lack of gate-keepers and the absence in some cases of the visual cues from others that we all use to moderate our interactions with each other. This is potentially more complex for children and young people who are still trying to establish the social rules of the offline world and lack the critical evaluation skills to either be able to interpret incoming information or make appropriate judgements about how to behave online.”
Parent Concerns
The rules of social interaction aren’t as clear when people aren’t face to face. Parental concern about their children’s digital life peaks between 14 and 16, just as their children’s knowledge starts to exceed their own. It is at around this age that use of social networking sites increases and contact with a wider group of people begins. Before that age, internet users might be aware of content that they feel they shouldn’t be looking at and worry that they might come across something accidentally but tend not to actively seek out unsuitable material and are aware that they can ‘just click away’ if they do find something they’re uncomfortable with.
What can parents do?
The most important thing, Dr Byron urges, is for parents to educate themselves: “Parents might chose to be more controlling or laid back in their parenting style, but without confidence in using technology these approaches are undermined and parents are left feeling anxious, disengaged and more prone to having their concerns fuelled by scare stories.”
Just as parents hold the hands of a small child when crossing the road but allow them out of the house on their own when they get older, teenagers can be allowed to find their own way on the internet. Few parents would give their teenage children carte blanche to stay out for as long as they want, go where they like or do as they choose, but equally few would demand to know what they were doing at all times. A balanced, but involved, approach may be best.
