As a parent, have you been strictly monitoring what your child has been doing on the Internet? If not, then you should start doing that take it as a safety precaution from experts.
With social media becoming the new playground for our kids, experts warn that parents should constantly monitor their kids’ online activity. Vaughan Warren Luck from the Doctors For Life organisation says that on average, 90% of parents are often “too busy,’’ to keep an eye on what their children get up to on the Internet.
Luck also highlighted that porn revenge has become an elusive statistical nightmare in South Africa, especially among teenage boys. Revenge porn highly involves the publishing of sexually-explicit private pictures without the victim’s consent, with the malicious aim of tarnishing the person’s reputation. This is very common in Mzansi, especially after break-ups.
With regards to the damage caused by social media, luck says: “All of a sudden, we’re living in a society that’s been turned upside down regarding what’s normal and acceptable and what’s not. Ethically, we’re on a slippery slope to a place where [anything] goes and, as long as it feels good, it’s okay. “
Just because it feels good to be on the net doesn’t mean it’s really good for everyone to be on the net. In essence, children who have easy internet access also have access to sexual content and they are more vulnerable to sexual predators as they tend to give away personal information that could put their lives in jeopardy.
YOUR SURROUNDINGS MAY HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON YOUR CHILD!
Luck says: “When a young person is brought up where nude selfies, trading sex for gifts, and prostitution are glamorised and made to seem normal, there’s something that happens to the development of the brain. Self-gratification, whether it’s being liked on Facebook or someone telling you that you are awesome, has an effect on us. The same chemicals released when you do drugs are also released when you get a ‘like’ on Facebook, when you’re watching porn or when you have sex. If exposed to these things from a young age, your brain is hardwired to react to these stimuli. It’s called the ‘reward system’. ”
“On a developing brain this can be very damaging and lead to addictive behavioural patterns, as well as what’s right and wrong. Watching porn changes how you see people. People become objects to be used in order for self-gratification. Rape becomes normal. Selling sex for nice things becomes normal,” he says.
As your number one Entertainment news portal, we urge you to be cautious of what your children get up to on the internet.
Picture credit: Lagazzettapalermitana.it
Entertainment SA | Celebrity and Gossip News
Article by: Tebogo Nkabinde
