The County’ s Family and Community Support Services attracted around 30 parents to the Viewpoint Room at the Bold Center at the end of September to hear about the issues children and teenagers have regarding the Internet and technology.
The County’ s Family and Community Support Services attracted around 30 parents to the Viewpoint Room at the Bold Center at the end of September to hear about the issues children and teenagers have regarding the Internet and technology.
The workshop, called Cyberworld: Raising a Child in the Digital Age, is one of a series on child protection that Lac La Biche County’ s Family and Community Support Services are putting on over the course of the fall. Julie Parr, public education co-ordinator at the Saffron Centre sexual assault survivor’ s organization in Sherwood Park, gave the presentation. Parr discussed the safeguards and pitfalls of popular social media apps for children, including privacy, bullying, the risks of sexting and exposure to pornography and adult content.
Parr, who later told the POST that she’ s a fan of the Internet and social media because of the good that it can accomplish, nevertheless told the parents in the audience to exercise caution and control because of what does happen to too many children.
“You should always be in earshot of what your children are doing online,” she said. “They shouldn’ t be taking devices to their bedroom.”
She also discussed a number of methods and technologies that could be used to minimize risks. While giving a variety of suggestions - such as using monitoring technology and safe searches - Parr also gave a simple set of guidelines.
“Listen. Intervene. Set expectations and boundaries. Keep on top of the tech,” she told the parents in the crowd.
She also discussed the way healthy relationships and one-to-one interactions between parents and children need to be fostered.
Parr is a social worker, who has a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta, and does presentations on a variety of issues, including at schools. She got into talking about the subject of technology in part because she had met kids in her own practice who had been victims of online abuse, and in part because it’ s a way for kids and adults to get information about how to manage complex and widespread problems associated with technology.
“Kids aren’ t talking with their parents, and parents find it hard to talk with their kids,” said Parr. “Internet safety is a big [issue].”
Many parents in the audience were concerned about how widespread the use of technology among kids is, with one parent even asking how it can be managed given the use of technology in their child’ s school.
“You’ re not going to stop them from using this technology,” said Parr. “It’ s about limiting the time.”
Christine Martin, community outreach worker at FCSS, said this particular workshop came first in the series because of the prevalence and broad range of issues this attracts. She also said an FCSS survey highlighted the need for a technology tack.
“In our survey, it was the number 1 issue affecting parents,” said Martin.
Heather Reid, a mother at the presentation with 12-year-old twins said the presentation was worth her time.
“It was great opportunity,” she said. “Especially with kids starting to use social media. I don’ t use a lot of social media myself so I wanted to know what was out there.”
Reid added that even before the presentation, her family used tools like safe search, but that the talk inspired a talk with her kids.
The next event in the series is about eating disorders, which takes place Nov. 21. There will also be a session about drug addiction, which doesn’ t have a date scheduled at this time.
Parr suggested that if there was one source that could give a good guide to parents for how to use technology and the media, the website was Common Sense Media, which can be found here.
