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Logging on to Danger?
Internet Safety for Teens By Margot Poss
Amoung the many challenges facing parents today, keeping your teen safe on the Internet can make even the most computer-savvy parent weary. Finding out where they are going and what they are doing is often difficult with the world literally at their fingertips. 
Young Canadians in a Wired World, a recent study conducted by the Media Awareness Network – a not-for-profit organization that supports media education in Canadian homes, schools and communities – shows alarming statistics displaying a substantial discrepancy between how parents see their children using the Internet and what their children are actually doing online. According to the study, parents report that they often talk to their kids about their Internet use, but kids say that they don't.
While it may be no surprise to find out that parents and kids have differing opinions, it is alarming to think that your child's exploration of cyberspace may unknowingly place them in immediate danger. Over half of the teens surveyed for Young Canadians in a Wired World had received pornographic junk mail and the vast majority admitted that they did not tell their parents. The report found that almost one-half of youth in secondary school who were interviewed said someone had made unwanted sexual comments to them on the Internet.
Perhaps the most serious finding relates to actual sexual contact or face-to-face meetings. While only 15 percent of youth surveyed went to meet someone alone, 12 percent of that group said they had a bad experience characterized in a variety of ways. While it is important to note that this represents less than 2 percent of young Internet users, children everywhere are still putting themselves in harm's way.
"These statistics are eye-opening," says Sylvia Cheuy, a mom from Caledon, Ontario. "It makes you realize that guiding your child through the Internet is an ongoing process. You really need to stay involved; talking to them only once about safety just isn't enough."
It appears that teens are doing what they have always done, hanging out with their friends, meeting new friends and listening to music. However, now they can do it from the comforts of home, and the friends they meet could live halfway across the world – but the danger is that they may not be who they say they are.
"For me, the challenge is finding the right balance between giving my teens independence and not being too trusting," says Maria Parris, a Mississauga mother of three. According to the survey, teens are using the Internet primarily for playing and downloading music, e-mailing friends, surfing for fun, playing and downloading games, instant messaging and chatting in chat rooms. They indicated that they use it for homework least of all, contrary to what their parents believe.
"The Internet is a great place to rebel because it's a secret world away from parents," says Cathy Wing, a media Internet education specialist from the Media Awareness Network. "Kids even have their own chatting language that's impossible for parents to decipher."
