So your child finally bought a phone for themselves. But now they're insisting they have the right to do whatever they want on it. What should you do as the parent?
Well, it depends what your child means by the word “control.” Do the parents have the authority to confiscate it (for example, as a punishment)? I would say yes. Do they have control over what the child does on it? I would say to some degree. That’s where the gray area starts, though, since different families will have different rules regarding device usage (some more lenient, some more strict).
I think this is much less about who bought the phone and more so about the child’s autonomy v.s. the parent’s authority. It’s not always easy to strike the ideal balance, but we’re all …show more content…
As a parent, when you give your child a phone, you are (to some degree) allowing them digital freedom. They can choose what social media to use, what games to play, what things to search on Google, etc. Of course, the issue (and danger) is that there is just so much information out there, and so many hidden digital alleys where scammers, hackers, and online predators lurk. 79% of youth unwanted exposure to pornography occurs in the home and 15% of children between ages 10 and 17 has had at least one person contact them with sexual intent.
Teens often think they know enough about the world to protect themselves (I sure did back when I was 16), but it’s frightening just how easily they can fall into traps set by online …show more content…
This meant no phones at the dinner table, no staying up past 12 a.m. on his phone (although we became a lot more lenient with this in the following years), and the final condition that if there was ever any issue, he communicate it with us directly.
Not an actual picture of our son.
Not an actual picture of our son.
My husband and I never really asked to see his phone because we never felt the need to. But, my son knew that if we had legitimate suspicions about his online activity (for example, if he seemed visibly depressed or was clearly hiding something) that we had the authority to ask to see his phone/social media/etc. And we promised to always ask him for access and to never, ever snoop. Secretly snooping is a harmful to any relationship, and it will absolutely destroy the trust you have with your child. How can you tell your child not to go behind your back if you go behind theirs?
So, do her parents have control over it? Yes, to some degree. They are the parents, and until the child leaves their care, they will have some kind of authority over what their child does on their
Well, it depends what your child means by the word “control.” Do the parents have the authority to confiscate it (for example, as a punishment)? I would say yes. Do they have control over what the child does on it? I would say to some degree. That’s where the gray area starts, though, since different families will have different rules regarding device usage (some more lenient, some more strict).
I think this is much less about who bought the phone and more so about the child’s autonomy v.s. the parent’s authority. It’s not always easy to strike the ideal balance, but we’re all …show more content…
As a parent, when you give your child a phone, you are (to some degree) allowing them digital freedom. They can choose what social media to use, what games to play, what things to search on Google, etc. Of course, the issue (and danger) is that there is just so much information out there, and so many hidden digital alleys where scammers, hackers, and online predators lurk. 79% of youth unwanted exposure to pornography occurs in the home and 15% of children between ages 10 and 17 has had at least one person contact them with sexual intent.
Teens often think they know enough about the world to protect themselves (I sure did back when I was 16), but it’s frightening just how easily they can fall into traps set by online …show more content…
This meant no phones at the dinner table, no staying up past 12 a.m. on his phone (although we became a lot more lenient with this in the following years), and the final condition that if there was ever any issue, he communicate it with us directly.
Not an actual picture of our son.
Not an actual picture of our son.
My husband and I never really asked to see his phone because we never felt the need to. But, my son knew that if we had legitimate suspicions about his online activity (for example, if he seemed visibly depressed or was clearly hiding something) that we had the authority to ask to see his phone/social media/etc. And we promised to always ask him for access and to never, ever snoop. Secretly snooping is a harmful to any relationship, and it will absolutely destroy the trust you have with your child. How can you tell your child not to go behind your back if you go behind theirs?
So, do her parents have control over it? Yes, to some degree. They are the parents, and until the child leaves their care, they will have some kind of authority over what their child does on their