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A recent survey questioned 500 teenagers from across the country, ages 14 to 18, about their computer habits. Listed below are the results of this survey. The answers given to these questions are disturbing.
As a parent it is your responsibility to oversee what your children do. You need to know where they go, just in case something happens. Most important of all, who they are going to see. That should be a no brainer, but many parents do not know enough about their children.
I hope these results will open your eyes to the possible dangers awaiting your children online.
Results of the survey:
Question 1: Have you ever met someone online via e-mail, instant messenger, chat room, etc.?
| RESPONSE |
MALE |
FEMALE |
| Yes |
71% |
76% |
| No |
29% |
24% |
Question 2: How often would you say you talk to people via the Internet that you don't know, but have met online?
| RESPONSE |
MALE |
FEMALE |
| All the time |
24% |
32% |
| Very often |
18% |
19% |
| Sometimes |
26% |
26% |
| Not very often |
26% |
21% |
| Not at all |
6% |
3% |
Question 3: Has anyone you have met online ever asked to meet you in person?
| RESPONSE |
MALE |
FEMALE |
| Yes |
63% |
65% |
| No |
37% |
35% |
Question 4: Have you ever had a scary online experience, or an online experience that has made you feel uncomfortable in any way?
| RESPONSE |
MALE |
FEMALE |
| Yes |
32% |
29% |
| No |
68% |
71% |
Question 5: You mentioned that you had an online experience that made you uncomfortable. Did you tell anyone about it?
| RESPONSE |
MALE |
FEMALE |
| Yes |
61% |
61% |
| No |
39% |
39% |
Question 6: Have you ever done anything online that you would not want your parents to know about?
| RESPONSE |
MALE |
FEMALE |
| Yes |
50% |
59% |
| No |
50% |
41% |
Question 7: Do you talk about yourself or personal things online?
| RESPONSE |
MALE |
FEMALE |
| Yes |
51% |
58% |
| No |
49% |
42% |
Question 8: Do you think your parents know what you're really doing when you're on the computer?
| RESPONSE |
MALE |
FEMALE |
| Yes |
53% |
46% |
| No |
47% |
54% |
Question 9: Do you think your parents would mind if they knew what you were really doing on the computer?
| RESPONSE |
MALE |
FEMALE |
| Yes |
48% |
46% |
| No |
52% |
54% |
Question 10: Do you think you use the computer responsibly?
| RESPONSE |
MALE |
FEMALE |
| Yes |
92% |
90% |
| No |
8% |
10% |
Question 11: Would you say that most people your age use the computer responsibly?
| RESPONSE |
MALE |
FEMALE |
| Yes |
39% |
42% |
| No |
61% |
58% |
Do some of the responses surprise you? I believe that questions ten and eleven tell the real story. The same teenagers, whose answers to some of the questions were not too bad, thought while they used the computer responsibly said they think others their age do not use the computer responsibly.
Is this a double standard? Probably not. I think they honestly believe they do act responsibly when using the computer. The real issue is how can they make that judgment if no one has ever taught them how to act when using the computer. If the same survey were given to the same teenagers after they were given an online safety course, I think the results might be different.
The bottom line is we expect children and teenagers to behave themselves, but we have not given them enough training to make reasonable judgments. Plenty of time is spent telling them they cant do something and not enough time teaching them the right things to do.
So, which are you? A teacher or a teller.
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