Parental Guidance of Media

Computer/ Internet

100

Your child finds a website that looks ok, but has no information about who created it. What do you suggest?

Make sure they research the site and look for references that confirm the sites authenticity.

200

You're teenager copy and pastes information from a website for a school project, how do you inform them that this is not allowed?

Let them know that doing this is plagiarizing, and to avoid doing so they can re-word and site the sources they use.

300

While online, an unwanted pop-up comes up that contains questionable content. How do you address this with them?

Explain to them that they must be careful not to click on strange looking links and make sure they are avoiding sites you deem as off limits.

400

If your child has an e-mail, how can you be sure they are using it in a way that won't be harmful to them?

Tell them that e-mail is just another form of personal information that someone has access to and given to the wrong person(s) can create multiple problems.

500

Your child has been spending a lot of time on the computer. You noticed it is becoming a habit. How do you talk to them about it?

Set boundaries. Let them know that the computer is a great tool for finding information or doing school work, but it shouldn't be their only source of learning.

Cell Phones

100

You're child is the age to finally have a cell phone, do you allow them to have a smartphone, or a basic phone?

It is entirely up to the parent, the child may say they need all the features a smartphone has but it should be strongly considered what they need it for.

200

It's family time and everyone is gathered for an activity. You notice one of your teens are texting and spending a lot of time on their phone.

Be sure to enforce rules and boundaries with cell phone use in the household, such as no phones during meals or family time.

300

How do you keep your child informed about safe texting?

Talk with them about what is appropriate to send in a text and let them know the dangers of sending or receiving certain information.

400

As quiet as your child may be towards you, it is never ok to go through their phone to get information. What can you do instead?

Don't try to be nosey, but if you want to know about your child's life, just ask...In a way that they know you care about what is going on with them, more that you just want to know, not because you want to be intrusive.

500

With all of the different freedoms and apps that a cell phone can come with, how can you monitor your child's usage?

Try using a security app that has parental controls of curfews for texting, blocking numbers, monitoring photo messages and more.

Television

100

How can a parent be mindful about how long their child has been watching television and if all their work has been done for school?

A parent can set limits and reserve television viewing for only certain times of the day, and only if all their homework is done. And not just set these limits but really enforce them.

200

Television can be informative and entertaining, but there are times when it's appropriate to have one on and times when it's not. How do you set these boundaries?

Give your child timeframes to watch television and make it less tempting for them by not keeping one in their bedroom.

300

Today during children' programming, especially, advertising bombards kids with promotions of toys, candy, clothing, etc.. many of them being products of the shows they are watching. Is there a way for them to be informed the difference between what they see in programs from what they see in advertising?

A young child who won't know the difference, should sit with their parent(s) and watch the shows together, and the parents can create the disconnection between the two and help the child understand it all better.

400

What is the easiest way to keep your child from channel surfing into unsavory television programming?

Many TV's and providers come with parental control options. Make an effort to get information on this in order to lock certain channels and programs.

500

While your child is watching news for an assignment, they should know that media biases exist within all the conglomerates.(i.e.. Fox, ABC, NBC, CW, BBC, CNN, and many more...) How can you help your child take away the best and most accurate information streaming to them?

Inform the child that every broadcast they watch will have their own bias on the content, and it may not always be accurate. Make sure they are watching a variety of sources to get every angle and form their own opinion.

Social Media

100

While your teen may be friends with many people on Facebook, hopefully people they know personally, a few of those people may be relatives. How do you address your teen's social media content in relation to family members seeing?

Let your teen know social media is open to everybody, and that family members are on Facebook, so be careful of what they post, like distasteful or humiliating content.

200

Modern social media is very interconnected and influences much of what you see on the internet. How do you express this to your child?

Let them know that everything they look at or connect to their social media accounts can be data that is collected and used by a company. Make sure they are aware of how this changes their internet experience.

300

What can you teach your child about cyber-bullying?

With social media came the birth of cyber-bullying, inform your teen that what they say or see can be very hurtful and harmful to someone.

400

With all of the photographic social media becoming prevalent, what is important for kids to know?

Remind them often that everything they put on the internet has the potential to be permanent and spread to people they don't know. Make sure they know not to put anything Online that might be harmful to them.

500

What is the most important thing to teach your child about using social media?

PRIVACY! Help your child with their privacy settings and be sure that their content and identity are safe. Be sure to explain how important it is that they don't connect with people they don't know or trust on the internet.

Video Games

100

What's the best way to monitor the amount of time your child spends playing video games?

Just like television viewing, video game play should be limited to a certain time frame and after all homework is done.

200

How do you best judge what games are appropriate for a child?

Use the convenient rating system that will be printed on games. Read about the content of the game and what questionable qualities it may have to help inform your decision.

300

With all the multi-player online games out now, How can you control who your child is playing with?

Although it is impossible to control who can be connected to your child, you can limit who they can talk to during a game session. It is also important to teach them to only really connect with people they personally know like friends and family; and avoid connecting with people in random countries and states.

400

Can playing of violent games be controlled?

You as a parent can enforce what your child play and doesn't play. If you choose to let them play violent games, be sure to monitor how much they are playing and how they are reacting to the content.

500

What is important for your child to know about being immersed in the world of a video game?

Although it may seem obvious, take the time to discuss with with children how video games are made and that they are not real life. It is important that they know that things they are capable of in games do not correspond to the real world.