Parents are facing a new dilemma that no parents have ever faced before.
The internet.
It’s hard to make educated decisions on what’s best for your kid when it comes to something like the internet or social media when you didn’t grow up with it, it’s constantly changing, and worst of all, the fact that the internet is “forever”.
So where do you even start? And how can you convince your kids that privacy is important.
First let’s take a look at why the younger generations are forgetting the importance of privacy…
One of the biggest reasons is social pressure. Nowadays, over 90% of teenagers have social media, and usually they first start using it when they turn 12 years old.
Social media comes with a pressure to show off and grow your “following”. This teaches people to share more and more of their lives online, to the point where nothing is private anymore. Not to mention, social media companies are some of the worst when it comes to using your data against you.
I really recommend that you do not let your kids use social media.
Another big reason children don’t care about privacy is because the importance of privacy isn’t taught, and Big Tech has been trying to convince people it’s not important. Like when the CEO of Google said, “If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.”.
While this quote might alarm you, to some people it makes sense.
But that’s just because they aren’t thinking deeply about the implications of what no privacy really means.
At the end of the day, it is your decision what your kids can and can’t do online, but you still should teach them why privacy is important.
It’s hard to explain what “forever” means to anyone, let alone a kid. But when you post something online, you’re risking it being reposted everywhere, without your control of taking it down.
When I talk to kids about this, I tell them about stories of people who lose their jobs, scholarships, and reputations because of what they post online. That way they can see that there is real tangible damage that can occur from what’s posted online.
I recommend that when you explain these issues to children make sure you have real life examples they can understand.
Children need to know the importance of online privacy because their safety and reputation could depend on it.
Thank you for reading this and please share our blog with your friends and family!
Eric Meder