Growing up online--importance of parental control

By Darlene A'stolfo
College of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
March, 2011

Today we watched a movie about cyber-bullying. I found it to be extremely disturbing and it upset me to see how these students can be affected so negatively by technology. However, I still do not blame technology for these incidents. I blame the parents who are monitoring the computer use of the bullies and the victims alike. If just ONE parent would be paying attention, perhaps they would be able to stop things before they become out of hand.

The young boy who committed suicide by hanging himself was extremely depressing. His death was so unnecessary and could have been prevented in so many ways. If his parents would have been watching him closer, I’m sure that there were warning signs of depression. Adolescent don’t just kill themselves on a whim. This child was obviously going through troubles and any attentive parent would probably be able to tell. I also blame the parents of the children on the other side. If they would know that their children were bullying someone so viciously over the internet they would have been able to stop it. This child had absolutely no reason to kill himself. He was at the prime of his life and had so much to look forward to and it saddens me that these parents let something like this happen.

I also believe that although monitoring is necessary, it should not go too far. Adolescents need a degree of freedom while being monitored. They should have privacy but not too much privacy. Parents can let them do what they want on the computer but make sure that they have access to the computer and can check it from time to time to see what their children are doing. They must also simply TALK to their children. If they develop a close, open relationship with their children it will benefit everyone involved. Parents can do so much to prevent tragedies from internet bullying and it saddens me that these things are allowed to happen.