Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

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.