Cyber Bullying

I recently read an article in the New York Times about cyber bullying.  In regard to people posting mean comments on Facebook pictures, the writer said, "This is a dark, vicious side of adolescence, enabled and magnified by technology."  Does technology magnify bullying?  It definitely offers a whole new way to bully, and online, bullying is a lot more secretive and behind the back.  Many children, while they may understand technology, lack the maturity to comprehend its consequences.  More and more parents are using software programs that can block web sites, send alerts when the child searches for them, monitor cellphones and track G.P.S. locations.  All this can be done without the child knowing.

One case in the article was about a girl that had been playing sexualized Truth or Dare games online.  Her mother, Christine, found out and cut off the girl's Internet access for months.  When the girl earned the privileges back,  Christine used programs that limited computer time and blocked sites as well as a keystroke logger that records everything written or seen on their home computer.  She also had her daughter's Facebook password in order to read the girl's private messages.  That is how she found out about many sexual messages between her young daughter and older boys at school.

I understand why parents would use this type of software to try and protect their children.  However, children need to learn how to make good decisions, and learning from the consequences is a good way.  If parents go to extreme measures to restrict their children's Internet use and protect them from the "real world", those children might not truly understand what to do in the "real world" when they grow up.  These types of software and restrictions should not be used in place of good parenting.  Instead of placing restrictions, parents should try to make their kids understand the consequences of technology.  Children should learn to practice good habits, not just respond to parental restrictions.