My 15 yr old SD is always on the computer... Now she is talking to people like she's know them for years.?

Question

Should we be concerned. My husband tells me not to worry about it. She stays up until all hrs of the night. What do you think?

How do you put a tracker on the computer?

Answer 1

YES!!!!! Be very concerned, so concerned that you make sure that she is not planning on any trips with friends you have never met.
For some strange reason all kids now a days think that they are the only one with Parents who are over bearing and just don't understand them, so they get on these computer and start talking to these other so called kids which are not kids, sometimes.
I am not sure where her computer is in your home but, to be honest it should be in a place that the whole family shares, like in the family room, that way you & your husband can monitor her plus it may be hard to do but, you need to put a time limit onher time on the computer.
Sometimes as a parent we have to put limitations on our children that they think is being harsh but, it's not
We do these things because we do love them and want them to be safe, If I were you I would explain to your husband how children girls & boys are disappearing from their homes on a hourly bases all over the world because some parents think that their children are safe because they are home on the computer.
I know you may feel like you are in a postion that is uncomfortable now but, you may be saving your daughter from a far worst fate then just not being on her computer at all hours of the night.

Answer 2

Try to limit the time she's on the computer (My children have a computer/TV/gamecube etc break every weekend day from 12-4 in the afternoon for instance and during weekdays no computer after 20:00. My eldest is only 11 so you have to take the age into account of course.

Chatting is very popular. But there is also a lot of nasty things going on (bullying, sexual proposals etc). So keep a program running so you can always check afterwards what she has done.

Maybe you should tell your husband that you ARE worried. Let him take some action as well.

Answer 3

I'm not sure what SD stands for, but I'm assuming you're referring to your daughter. I went through a phase like that for about a year, where all I wanted to do was chat online. When I wasn't on the computer, all I could think about was when I get online again. It can be an unhealthy addiction, and I got over it when I went to college, lived in the dorms and made new friends. My mind had something else to focus on. A good friend of my mother's has a son who has had a really bad addiction to the internet and it's lasted for several years. He went to a special program when he was 15 because he's very intelligent. He lived in a college dorm and took college level courses. He failed his first semester because he was chatting online too much. People like that probably need professional counseling. But if your daughter is more like I was, she'll outgrow it in time. She may be chatting online because she's lonely. I did it to escape problems that were going on with my family at the time. You ought to sit down with her and talk about it. Ask her why she is so drawn to the internet, instead of hanging out with her friends and family.

Answer 4

Yes, worry, worry, worry. She's talking for hours to people she doesn't know, and not the real life people in her house.

And if she's staying up all hours, isn't this affecting her homework, school, and social life with real people?

A little computer goes a long way. What you have to do is:
* limit the time she's on it
* monitor it as much as you can, in whatever way you feel comfortable
* give her something else to do when she's not on the computer
* that can be chores, movies, window shopping, sports, having her friends over, etc.

I realize it's difficult when you are a step parent to override what DH says.

Here's a way to get him involved. Pop in a tape or have him watch Nightline -is it Nightline I mean? -- the news show that caught all the middle-aged men in a sting.

These men, all pedophiles and many with convictions already, drove for hours from different states to meet what they thought was a young girl they'd been chatting to on the computer. One man was caught sitting naked in the kitchen, waiting for her.

That should have her dad sit up and take notice of her computer time.

Answer 5

15 is a tough age. Looking for attention, and the internet gives that attention, especially when you are a girl (lots of pervs out there). Except you really don't know who you are talking to. Be very concerned and very careful. Keep an eye on who she talks to, with a tracker program or just sneak a peek. Discuss with your husband, he should get more involved. Maybe you should get the mother involved.

Answer 6

It depends, I am a teenage daughter who spends a lot of time on the computer. However, I know who I'm talking to are just my friends from school and only my friends from school. I'm not really sure, but I think I'd be semi- concerned. I wouldn't really feel too much of a need to worry, maybe you could always put a time restriction on her computer if you feel it's too much for such late hours? Yes, that is drastic, but maybe it'd prevent her from talking to some of the more people she doesn't really know.

Answer 7

PARENTAL CONTROL...my step kids are 9, 7, and 6 and I already have parental controls set up so I know everything they chat about. Some parents think it is an invasion of privacy....did we have any privacy as children? NOPE...point blank our jobs are to protect them no matter what and until they are considered a legal adult then we do what we have to do to make sure they are safe. Including step parents. My step kids hate the fact that I am strict and always checking on them, but when I prevent something bad from happening they realize it.
Good luck to you 15 is a crusty age lol

Answer 8

Didn't they just say on the news that the FBI had to stop some straight A honor student 16 year old girl from flying to Jordan to marry some 25 year old posing as a 14 year old boy on MYSPACE. Do you really have to ask this question? They stopped her during a layover and had to FLY her *** back home from the MIDDLE EAST. 16 and 25 getting married in JORDAN. They stone females.

Answer 9

She may be a step child, but ur still the parent. If you are concerned set up some guidelines for her to follow. Some 52 year old perv might be sending her naked pictures of himself. You need to know what is going on.

Answer 10

set some time for her computer sessions, dont allow her to stay up so late and tell her not to give any details about personal things to strangers...there's a lot of crimes that had happened because of those kids giving infos to strangers. yes you should worry about it! she's a kid and a girl!!!!i would freak out if my girl would be talking to people in the net ...