Technology is a wonderful thing but it comes with its own set of problems. Our kids have more knowledge at their fingertips than ever before but they can get into trouble a lot easier than ever before, too.
Chat sites, Facebook, Twitter, and all the rest of the social media is filled with opportunities for kids to communicate with people that they don’t know and probably (hopefully in many cases) will never meet. Email provides a unique form of privacy.
That kind of privacy can be dangerous. Information can be shared, images can be shared, and conversations that maybe shouldn’t happen often do. It was harder for teenagers in past decades. You had to whisper into the phone while looking furtively around to makes sure no parent was in hearing distance… and somehow they always were.
Email is very private. If your child has access to a computer he or she can open an email account without you ever knowing it. Even if you find out about it, you can’t access it without a password.
I know some parents who smugly say that they know exactly what their kids are up to because they have the email passwords but inwardly I wonder if maybe their child doesn’t have a secret, private email account somewhere. I know that’s what I would have done!
So, the question is, at what age do you feel it is safe for your kids to have an email account and, if they have one already do you monitor it?
photo credit: moodboardphotography
