Double Edged Sword?
Facebook is by far the greatest social phenomenon to hit the planet or at least one of the greatest. Launched in 2004 by two Harvard University sophomores, the social network exploded into the 2000s and drew colossal Internet traffic. FB boasts more than 100,000 million users and it is still growing. It’s a great place to meet up with old friends and to make new ones. There is no doubt that FB is a booming success.
But at what cost? Is it a double edged sword? Many experts believe so. No matter what the entity, the pros will always square off with the cons. Though our kids can access major educational tools from this social network, as well instant communication with friends, they can also draw dangerous attention from predators, pedophiles, gangs and hate groups. Keeping in touch with their friends can be a plus, but that same open communication has an undercurrent of destruction. It’s clear. Oftentimes, the same things that make us laugh are the same things that make us cry. Facebook is no different.
How do we make sure the double-edged sword doesn’t cut into children? It’s obvious and all specialists agree. Adults, guardians and parents need to be more active in monitoring our children’s Internet activity. Get nosy. Get involved. Set privacy restrictions. Study the network. Watch out for suspicious activity and reject unknowns adding our kids as their friends. If we are to make sure that Facebook is an enjoyable experience, we must be more proactive. Otherwise, the double-edged sword of social networking may penetrate and cause massive injury to our children.
1 Comment to Double Edged Sword?
Parental monitoring is essential. Some may say, “I trust my child to do the right thing.” But do you trust the online predator on the other end who can send an illicit picture to your child whether they want it or not? We protect our children with seat belts, bike helmets, and by teaching them to look both ways before crossing the streets. We want to keep them from danger and out of harms way. So is being nosy such a bad thing afer all? Let’s not even use that word. We need to be involved in our children’s Internet lives.
March 2, 2009