Is it OK for my child to have online friends?
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Is it OK for my child to have online friends?
Not necessarily. Kids’ online friends are typically pals from school, sports, or other groups they’re involved in. In fact, kids often strengthen their real-world friendships by connecting online. Make sure your kids set privacy settings that prevent people they don’t know from contacting them.
How many online friends does the average teen have?
Fully 57\% of teens ages 13 to 17 have made a new friend online, with 29\% of teens indicating that they have made more than five new friends in online venues. Most of these friendships stay in the digital space; only 20\% of all teens have met an online friend in person.
How can I see what my teen is doing online?
Online security: 5 parental control apps that let you monitor your kid’s online activity
- Net Nanny. Available for PC, Android, iOS and Kindle, Net Nanny lets parents manage their kids’ screen time, block certain apps and websites and filter online content.
- Qustodio.
- MamaBear.
- OurPact.
- Kaspersky Safe Kids.
Why do parents and teens have different ideas about online friendships?
“You’re taking your son to meet … wait … who?” Teens and parents have different views of online friendships because they have different ideas of what socializing should look like, says danah boyd (who doesn’t capitalize her name), author of “It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens.”
Are your teens making new friends online?
What parents don’t realize, boyd says, is that the vast majority of teens socialize online with people they already know. And they tend to meet new people through those people. Among their categories of friends — school friends, church friends, camp friends — “online friends” are just another group.
Why won’t my child make friends?
There are a number of reasons kids may have trouble making friends, and (though this is by no means an exhaustive list) they often fall into two general categories: Some kids are simply shy and anxious. This can lead to difficulty engaging comfortably with peers.
Should a 13-year-old have an online friend?
“What you are teaching your child when they want to meet an online friend at 13 is also survival skills for when she is 18 and going off to college and having one of the most intimate stranger situations — meeting their roommate for the first time.”