Hello Friends! This is Sanghamitra again with my small piece of thought…it’s always lovely to share my thoughts with you…recently I was going through an article where a Mumbai based kid laid off his life by coming into influence of Internet based reality ‘Game’….This actually bewilders me where are we actually heading towards with a new definition of ‘Modernization’..?!??
In accordance to a latest survey, Indian Youngsters are happier with their ‘Online’ lives in comparison to their real lives because there they can be exactly who they want to be and as soon as that thing is no longer fun they have a simple option of hitting the Quit button. Despite our regular concern of cyber safety and security, chunk of young people are in contact with strangers who often lie about their reality viz. indeed quite unsafe. Children also tend to behave differently online than they behaved in normal, because it make them feel more strong, vibrant and confident.
Now the question arises while making younger generation the ‘Gen Next’ are we able to embed them with the sense of judgment between ‘Reality’ & ‘Virtual Reality’..??? Are we responsible enough to make them vigilant about the pros and cons of the starry virtual world…???…If not then now is the perfect time to do so because being a tech woman I personally know how rapidly the Tech world is changing, so if it is not now then we may soon lose the hope of resurrecting. Below could be some points which I as a mother try to vigilate my child about this boon turning to bane…
- Being ‘nice & responsible’- Teaching my child to be truthful and respectful in real life, I suggest her to be the same even in the virtual world, It is very equally important to treat one another respectfully & not hurt anyone’s emotion and sentiments intentionally. During our candid conversation, I try to figure out if anyone is trying to exploit or harass in anyway.
- Think twice and be smart before pressing ‘Enter’- It’s important to make the kids realize that anything they post could be easily used against them and the family. For example: A recent incident happened where a teen posted about being on vacation with entire family and the robbers got a chance to strike off. Kids should be responsible enough about disclosing anything about their specific locations, phone numbers etc.
- Make them realize that there is sometimes no turning back- Before posting or sharing any thoughts on internet, they should know that there might not be a ‘U’ turn . He/She shouldn’t post anything that their parents, friends, teachers etc. may feel offended or bad.
- Be extra Conscious before letting stranger “friends” in- Make it very clear to your kids that if you don’t know them, don’t friend them- this is one simple and safe thumb rule one should adhere to.
I totally agree to the point that as a parent we shouldn’t interfere in that “personal” space of our kids, but as being closest to them it our duty to keep them grounded in real world and setting limit on the use of media. We should encourage the kids to use computers and other gadgets in the presence of family members at home, also we should make some strict rules for technology usage for us as well for the kids such as no gadgets while at dinner table, spending quality time with family and friends, pushing their focus on sports and physical endurance etc.
At the end we should not let them forget that setting good example through virtual behavior can go a long way in terms of using the Virtual Media safely and wisely.
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