In todays messed up world, should you let a 12 yr old chat online. Of course you want to monitor you child online. Today you hear of preditors seeking young children. My son has been asking to chat, but I just don't think he's ready. He tells me his friends do.
What do you think? Mature adults only please.
2006-08-13 10:50:10 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
As long as your computer is in a family area, such as in the living room, and is loaded with filters which will block out inappropriate content, such as porn and spyware, then you can let your child chat, supervised to any school friends, and any friends of a similar age they have met online.
Warn your child, never to give out personal information, such as a surname, details of his address, phone number, or anything else that may identify him or his exact location, even if he thinks he knows who the messenger might be. But if he knows the person from school they won't ask for such information anyway. If he is asked to meet up with anyone he has not met before, through Messenger or chat rooms, he should politely decline the offer, and tell you about it. He must block the user if the spurned user then becomes a nuisance.
If he is harrassed online, he should block that user, and tell you about it immediately. Contcact the police, or search for parental websites, which will help you understand the procedures for reporting someone who is being indecent or abusive on a chat room. The moderators will then sort the situation out.
So the answer is yes, but with strict, strict supervision. :)
2006-08-13 11:01:45 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on where he wants to chat. If he's just going to use MSN or something like that to chat with people he already knows than I think that would be fine. If he wants to use chat rooms or forums, be sure he knows the importance of not giving out personal information. My daughter has had her own computer and been on line since before she was 12 and I've never had any problems. She knows that I am allowed to monitor what she is doing at any time so that keeps her from browsing through sites that are not appropriate. If you feel he is mature and responsible enough than I would let him. If in doubt, just trust your gut instinct.
2006-08-13 10:58:42 · answer #2 · answered by gemgrl19 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well i am 15 and when i was 12 i would talk to my friends online and i found it very useful to find help for homework and such. He is a boy and most preditors are after girls. And if you teach him to be smart on the computer and only talk to people that he knows he should be pretty safe. I mean it really depends on how much you trust your son. As long as he doesn't talk to people he doesn't know, or put out his phone number, last name, or address on the internet there is no way of anyone doing any harm.
2006-08-13 15:08:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My daughter started chat at 12.. i made sure she was in the same room as I was, and really monitored what was going on in the screens. Just popped my head over her shoulder from time to time... and before she shut down the window I would ask her if she had a problem with me scrolling back through her conversation. usually, she would say no.. if she said she minded I asked her why. we have a great relationship and she would tell me if she felt a person was out of line, then we would block that person.
Just have a good open dialog with your tweener.. they need some freedoms and chat is OK as long as it is monitored.
2006-08-13 11:00:24 · answer #4 · answered by rcsanandreas 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When my children were growing up we had the computer in the kitchen where both of us knew what our children were into. I think 12 year old needs supervision as to what chat lines they get into. there are many other things that a 12 year old can be active in instead of setting in front of a computer all the time. Sports, church, and doing home work in preparation of going to college.
2006-08-13 10:57:08 · answer #5 · answered by M. W 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have to think about what type of child you have. If he's pretty smart and doesn't let people mislead him often then I say, yes, let him chat. However, if he's one of the young minded 12 year olds that let everyone mislead him, don't let him chat until he's a little older. It depends on where his mind is. You and only you know what type of child you have. Make you decision based on that.
2006-08-13 10:59:43 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I see no problem with letting them chat as long as you know where they are chatting and you teach them the rights and wrongs of chatting. No giving out personal info, no giving your name, etc. As long as you teach them that there are people out there that are bad to talk to and teach them to keep private while chatting I see no problem. From what I can tell, the kids who end up meeting predators are the ones that chose to give out info, invited people to their homes or went to meet them in places. The parents needed to teach them better instead of blaming it all on the internet. The internet is not a parental figure and it should not be the one that is monitering the child.
2006-08-13 13:58:48 · answer #7 · answered by Chelle's Belle 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
chatting is no problem, but the way of chatting only decides their future. if the chatting with good personal for academic interest or self development, you can encourage. however, it is better to explain your son as a friend about pros and cons.
2006-08-13 10:59:31 · answer #8 · answered by prince47 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well I'mk a 12 year old and I get to go online. Well once a child gets access of the internet, they will do whatever they want.
2006-08-13 10:58:47 · answer #9 · answered by Leslie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on the site and your children. If you really dont trust them...no....
Actually most chats are unavailable to people under 18...such as Yahoo or msn
2006-08-13 10:57:28 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋