As more and more teenagers get smartphones for birthdays and for Christmas, it becomes increasingly important for parents to protect children from pornography and other online dangers, reports The New York Times.
Making devices your child uses pornography-proof is particularly difficult in the age of "apps" or applications, which can be downloaded at any time and hidden very easily.
In almost all of these situations, parents are put in the position of having to learn the settings for each app and browser on a child's mobile device, reports the Times.
The researchers at FindLaw have been looking at a lot of the literature associated with the risks children face online and have put together some warning signs parents should consider:
- Your child spends a large amount of time online
- Your child uses an online account belonging to someone else
- Your child quickly turns off the monitor to conceal what they were viewing when you walk by
- You find pornographic images on your child's computer
- Your child withdraws from family activities
In the event that you find your children exhibiting any of the aforementioned behavior, you should immediately open communication with the child. You can also use software blocking controls to take a more proactive approach. Other suggestions include moving the computer away from the child's room. It is much easier to spot signs of online danger when the computer screen is visible and in the open.
For more information about the risks children face online, from both mobile devices and home comupters, please see the resources below.
Related Resources:
- Find an Atlanta Family Law attorney (FindLaw)
- Cyber Bullying (FindLaw)
- Cyberbullying on the Rise (FindLaw's KnowledgeBase)
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