One cannot compare reading a child’s journal to accessing his or her conversations online. The Internet is a different paradigm.
It’s Modern Parental Involvement
Betsy Landers is the president of the National Parent-Teacher Association.
Updated June 28, 2012, 4:42 PM
The use of new technology is a daily part of children's lives, which means it should play a part in parents’ lives, too.
While technology can open up new worlds of rich learning experiences for children, it can also expose them to harm. Today’s parents should be technology savvy and try to stay a step ahead -- or at least keep up with -- new media and technology to protect their children.
There are plenty of resources that teach parents how to keep their children safe from cyber-bullying, child predators and adult Web sites. It’s up to parents and families to decide which resources they feel are necessary, but ultimately, it’s the parents’ responsibility to protect their children, at least until these children become adults. Parental use of all available resources, including electronic monitoring tools, should not be considered an invasion of privacy; it’s simply modern involvement.
One cannot compare reading a child’s journal to accessing his or her conversations online or through text messages. The Internet is a different paradigm and should not be treated the same as a diary or private letters. Anything that parents would not condone or allow in the real world should be forbidden online. Setting rules may not be enough. A perceived lack of trust lies not necessarily with the children, but rather with the yet-to-be-navigated waters of new technology.
Parents who are monitoring their children’s activities via technology are not crossing the line into invasion of privacy; they are cyber-savvy and involved.