I think the answer is obvious. Then why do we buy him a computer with a clear conscience (or let him use it as his own) without taking care of the minimum security…
No, I don't mean our beloved “electronic friend”, I'm talking about the child who uses it.
A little bit about our children
Everyone or almost everyone knows that a computer needs to be protected from viruses, Trojans and other evil spirits so that it does not get sick and for a long time pleases us with the opportunity to “surf the Internet”, chat with friends, even do some of our work at home, sitting in a soft chair, not far from the TV.
It seems that everyone understands that the child (and ourselves) must be protected no less, and maybe even more. But since the threat is intangible, not obvious (not a gun, after all), not many people think about it or it doesn’t go beyond talk. Many people simply buy a computer for their child as a ransom, if only the daily pestering requests would stop. This is where parental care ends, it’s just that over time we begin to notice the changes happening to the child.
In one of the articles I read on the Internet, the author said that she would prefer Internet addiction to any other. I can't agree with that. An addiction, no matter what noble goals it hides behind, remains an addiction. You can't hope that everything will go away with the years. Some drug addicts also recover, but the majority…
This problem started to interest me not so long ago. Several months ago.
My 6-year-old son, as usual, climbed onto my lap while I was “sitting on the Internet.” Everything was as usual. I was looking for something, he sat quietly and watched. What happened next probably happened to more than just me. He asked what the uncle and aunt were doing on the screen – over there in the corner. It was a shock!!! When you are deep in searching for the necessary information, you don't always notice where the hyperlinks lead… How can you explain to a 6-year-old boy that many people enjoy this process, and some make money on it? But I also have a daughter who is 12.
Have you ever tried to play “spy” and watch what your child looks at when he/she surfs the Internet? Open the browser “log” and take a look (if, of course, the child does not clean it) at what kind of resources your child “hangs out”? I think you will learn a lot about your beloved son (daughter). Having thought about it, a caring parent will come to the conclusion that it is necessary to be able to block the passages and loopholes into the “dark segment of the network”.
Another example. So-called free online games, which in reality turn out to be not free at all. If it is a java game, then the possibility of getting some kind of infection (a trojan, with all the consequences…) on your computer increases many times over. In other cases, it is assumed that you “purchase” some skills, opportunities, weapons, etc. for electronic money.
We also played “war” and “knights” in our time. But it was not associated with pools of blood and meat smeared on the walls. Now you don't even have to imagine anything – everything very colorfully “lives” on the computer screen. And children very often “get hooked on… the game”, and what can I say about children, quite successful adults spend precious time and money on games. But the latter at least earn money themselves.
A little bit about ourselves
If we take the Internet as a phenomenon in general, then the complete analogy with real life is visible to the naked eye. All the signs of both good and bad phenomena are present in full. There is theft, greed, and passion that crosses all boundaries, murders and betrayals, diseases and epidemics.
Slot machines have been removed from the streets, but wherever you look on the Internet, you are offered to play. It doesn't matter whether it's cards or roulette, fighting or growing a vegetable garden (of course, a virtual vegetable garden is easier to cultivate than a real one). Almost free. Only the rules don't stipulate that after a short period of time, once you get hooked on the game, it will require from a couple of rubles to hundreds of dollars a month. Or even more, depending on what you play. Some media outlets talk about this, but it's a voice crying in the wilderness.
Computer diseases (viruses, worms and many other things), if you don't start dividing them into categories, affect no worse than some “bird flu”. But… We made some noise, talked and calmed down. We formatted the hard drive if we couldn't cure it, and that's it. And who will cure broken children's souls?
If you receive a phone bill that says in black and white: pay for calls to the Ivory Coast, and you not only can't speak, but you can't even imagine where it is, you will be deeply indignant and won't pay. But at the same time, if you have unlimited Internet and pay only for its speed, you are unlikely to be very upset if one day it turns out that the lion's share of your traffic goes in an unknown direction. And it's not so easy to find out without some skills.
When you communicate in a chat room, you control what you say and to whom, but can you be sure that your child does the same? There are many more opportunities and ways to extract personal information from a child than from an adult. You constantly warn your beloved “baby” not to communicate with strangers on the street. But what about when he is on the Internet?
It is no secret that advertising is used to sell goods, shape public opinion, our habits and desires, and lay down behavioral stereotypes and ways of thinking. This is despite the fact that there is some kind of censorship on television and radio. Although its quality can be discussed at length. Imagine how many opportunities appear on the Internet, where everything is uncontrolled. I will say right away: I am not a supporter of total control (we do not live in China). Therefore, saving the drowning – you know the rest yourself…
Many sects and clubs have appeared, similar to the one in which the notorious Prince Florizel participated. Children get there, some for sporting interest, some for the “good” life. They are attracted by the unique opportunity to “gamble” their fate.
This article is not an appeal to the powers that be to tighten online control. It is an appeal to parents to be a little more attentive to their children. To forbid is the worst thing that can be done in this situation, and to be able to control is an urgent need. Take a closer look at your child. Try to see and understand what worries him, repels him and, conversely, what is very attractive.
If you do buy your child (gun) a computer, learn how to use it and protect yourself, and teach your child, explaining to him that the Internet is almost like life – there is a lot of bad, but also a lot of good.
The main thing is not the ability to pull the trigger, but to know where to aim.
