The dangers of social media for children
Could the internet be the most dangerous weapon ever invented?
“Children are vulnerable and many parents are not aware of the dangers of the Internet,” says a concerned mother Renè Le Roux, from Florida.
As much as the Internet is educational, it could also be dangerous especially for your children.
According to a report released this year by Teenworx, an organisation which educates high-school children about the dangers of the internet, there are various risks associated with using the internet.
These risks include; addiction, cyber-bullying, sleep deprivation and sexting.
Sexting is sending someone sexually explicit photographs or messages via a cell phone.
According to the SAPS (South African Police Service’s) web site, there are many social media acronyms children use that people are unaware of.
Some of the acronyms are listed as follows:
GNOC – Get Naked On Cam
PAW – Parents Are Watching
L(MIRL) – Let Us Meet In Real Life
FYEO – For Your Eyes Only
NIFOC – Naked In Front Of Computer
S2R – Send To Receive (Pictures)
TDTM – Talk Dirty To Me
PIR – Parent In Room
Le Roux added although she feels her teenage daughter is relatively safe because she only speaks to people she knows, she can never be 100 per cent sure about the search engines her daughter uses.
The report gave a few tips on how children can be safe from online predators.
These useful tips include:
• Children should only chat to people they know.
• Facebook states that only children 13-year and older, is allowed to use the site. So, parents should not allow children younger than 13 years to have a Facebook account.
• Parents should monitor their child’s social media friends and the timelines
Lynne Cawood, director for Childline Gauteng, encourage children to contact their 24/7 helpline on 011-645-2000/080-005-5555 or sms Child to 38079 if you have been a victim of online abuse.
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