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SALT LAKE CITY -- Are your children in danger?
Of course not, they are safely settled in their rooms for the night. Or are they? If they are snuggled up with their cellphone or laptop, they might not be as safe as you think.
In the age of texting and Facebook, keeping kids safe isn't always as simple as locking the door when they come home at night. Online predators, sexting, cyberbullying or even sleep deprivation can create hazards for kids and families.
Monitoring children's use of electronic devices — not to mention deciding when they are old enough to use them - has become an essential parenting responsibility.
66% of children have their own cellphone before they turn 14. -Pew Internet and American Life Projects
Kids are plunging into the electronic world at younger and younger ages. It seems like today the cellphone question for kids no longer if, but when.
According to a survey by Pew Internet and American Life Projects, 66 percent of children have their own cellphone before they turn 14. That is not as surprising at the 2010 Media Research and Intelligence survey that found that 20 percent of 6- to 11-year-old children own a cellphone.
For some people, a 6-year-old toting cellphones may seem ridiculous, but for others handing their grade-schooler a cellphone calms parental worries.
"Instead of waiting for some magic number, the decision to get your kids a cellphone should hinge on more intangible factors," ABC News writer Cristen Conger said.
She is absolutely right.
Coming up:
Tonight at 10:
Is your child's picture leaving a trail for crooks track you? See what's hidden in your smart phone picture Thursday on KSL 5 News at 10.Personal responsibility, parental accessibility and child safety are important factors to consider. Every child is different. It would be silly to hand a cellphone to a child who would carelessly ruin it. However, a child faced with after school activities or a long walk home may need the comfort and security of a quick connection to mom or dad.
Whatever the age, take cellphones seriously.
Parents should not be afraid to jump into a discussion of how to handle this technology. Parents need to be involved in answering the simple questions like, "What do I do if my phone gets wet?" to bigger issues like "Why do I have to be careful about the pictures and messages I send?"
Setting limits is essential, but parents don't have to do that alone. Many cellphone plans allow parents to monitor who and what their child is texting. Most wireless carriers also provide options for limiting call minutes or number of texts as well as setting time restrictions to curb phone use during school hours or late at night.
Cellphones, however, aren't the only electronic enticement out there. The glittering world of social media is another wonderland that children are often excited to explore.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently reported that 22 percent of teenagers log on to their favorite social media site more than 10 times per day, and more than half of them visit social media sites a least once a day. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and even online games like Club Penguin and Second Life are included as social media because they all allow social interaction.
22% of teenagers log on to their favorite social media site more than 10 times per day, and more than half of them visit social media sites a least once a day. -The American Academy of Pediatrics
Even though many sites limit their membership to those over age 13, it is not difficult - or unusual - for kids to fudge their age and log in. Parents should regularly check the computer browsing history to see which sites their children frequent. If their child has an account on a social media site, parents had better create one, too.
It is important for parents to not only monitor children's browsing, but also to teach them how to be safe with social media.
The Federal Trade Commission has set up a site to help parents do just that by encouraging parents to be pro-active in protecting their kids. It addresses everything from placing the computer in a communal place and checking site privacy settings to reviewing children's friends list and teaching them what information should never be shared. By engaging children, even young children, in a discussion of Internet safety parents arm them with protections for the future.
Whether the child at home is 7 or 17, parents can empower kids to be helped and not hurt by electronic devices and social media.
Melissa DeMoux is a stay-at-home mother of six young children who lives in West Valley City, Utah. You can email her at mddemoux@gmail.com or follow her adventures in motherhood at demouxfamily.blogspot.com.
