Some parents trust their kids, others are waryPETALING JAYA: Parents gave mixed reaction to suggestions that they keep closer tabs on their children’s activities online. “I do not monitor my sons’ Internet usage as I work most of the time,” said shop helper Indah Susanti.
For the 34-year-old mother of two boys aged 11 and eight, and a three-year-old girl, it is enough to know that her sons only go online after finishing their homework, and that they usually go on Facebook, chat with friends and surf for song lyrics.
“Sometimes my husband checks on what they do when he is home,” she said. Unlike Indah, Pat Segaran, 55, takes on a stricter approach towards the amount of time her two daughters, aged 17 and 14, spend on the Internet. She also wants to know what they use it for. “The family computer is placed in the living room, and my laptop which is password-protected is in my bedroom.
“When I am not at home, I remove and hide the laptop cable. They sometimes use my husband’s iPhone 4, but only for a limited time,” said Pat who runs her own business.
Juny Loh, meanwhile, said everyone in her family had their own laptop and was allowed to go online whenever they wanted to. “I have inculcated strong Christian values in my children and I trust them to know right from wrong,” said the 48-year-old mother of three.
Parents, teachers and youth associations, meanwhile, welcomed efforts to tighten laws and give better protection to young Internet users.
“Kids are easy targets of cyber crime perpetrators because they are naive".
“The Government should give teachers guidelines on the do’s and don’ts of using the Internet,” said National Union of the Teaching Profession president Hashim Adnan.
SMK Seri Hartamas parent-teacher association vice-chairman Datin Noor Azimah described the move as “forward-looking”.
“As parents, we find it difficult to keep track of what our children view online".
“We welcome any developments that help to control what our children are exposed to via the Internet.”
Besides controls, she added, trust between parents and children was important. “They will not abuse the privilege of going online.” World Youth Foundation chief operating officer Varsha Ameraj said children as young as 13 were on Facebook and use the Internet with no restrictions.
“They don’t know what they’re getting into when they make friends with strangers. Sometimes, that leads to danger,” she said.