My Kids and their internet world

The Internet can be a wonderful resource for kids. They can use it to research school reports, communicate with teachers and other kids, and play interactive games but I have four different stories about my kids. I have four kids, Fathehah, Fathullah, Fathirah and Faqhihah. They have their own point of view about internet. My eldest daughter usually used the internet to get information about her school work especially when she needs to do a folio. My son usually used the internet for games same goes to my youngest one, but they played a different kind of games between two of them. My third daughter used the internet very seldom. I guess she always get a least chance amongst the other three. But one thing that I can very sure all of them definitely have their own facebook account. Whatever it is, I am glad because my kids are also an IT savvy. Actually I am impressed with their creativity. Fathehah was very creative in doing her folio for her school. She can even teach to the other three when they also need to do the same thing. On the other hand my son was very creative in combining pictures and building up his own profile through his facebook. I can’t even think that he was that creative until I cannot recognize his work. Fathirah was also creative on her own way but she seldom show it to us but through her facebook I can tell she is also have her own creativity but as I mentioned earlier due to her limitation to get into the internet due to the busy traffic by the other three in the house, she always step back. Faqhihah would have a great story about the internet. She really likes internet games especially ‘cooking games for girls’. I have seen her many times with her cooking games. I am sure she had fun with a colorful background on the games. She also used goggles search especially when she wants to know something from her school books that she do not understand. I always seen Fathirah and Faqhihah used the goggles search to search photo such as about different types of house in Malaysia, they search about bird’s name, etc. They also can check their exam results through the website: http://saps.moe.gov.my/ibubapa2/index.php.

Internet was really helps them in their school work. Internet I would say was their encyclopedia.

Whatever it is, I will make sure that all of them will not go in to the wrong website. I always control their usage of the computer. The computer had been set with a password to on it on. My kids do not have an idea what is the password. The reason why I did that because I want them only can use the computer during my present in the house so that I can monitor them.

No matter how good or creative they are in using the internet, I belief their behavior in their internet world still need to be monitor and parenting control are very important.

Internet Junkie Children Have Parents Worried

Sunday, August 8, 2010 @ 12:08 AM

posted by admin

 PETALING JAYA: Parents and teachers have been left in a quandary as the onslaught of Internet games and social networking sites are bringing out a rebellious streak in many children.

“Why are you controlling my life?” – is the question often thrown back by children to their parents or teachers when they are confronted with their obsession with the Internet.

Teenagers playing online games at a cyber cafe in Kelana Jaya, a common scenario at almost any cyber cafe. – AZMAN GHANI/THE STAR

Norton, an Internet security company, produced a family report in 2010 which stated that Malaysian children spent an average of 64 hours online every month.

National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary general Lok Yim Pheng described the students’ obsession with the Internet as a silent killer which was “killing off” the interest of students in class.

There had been reported cases of students falling asleep in class after a whole night of playing Internet games and on-line chatting.

Lok had been ringing the alarm bells over this issue for the last five years.

She said there were also students who starved themselves during recess time because they wanted to save up for trips to cyber cafes.

“There have also been cases where stealing is involved,” she said.

Public complaints go-to man, Datuk Michael Chong said many parents had come crying to him saying they were at a loss over what to do.

“Their children spend countless hours on the Internet – with some cases involving primary school students surfing pornographic sites,” said the head of the MCA Public Service and Complaints Department.

Psychologist Dr Goh Chee Leong said the Internet was enticing because it was “very engaging and stimulating.”

“This problem is more prevalent in the middle and higher class families because they can afford to buy computers,” said the vice-president of HELP University College.

Mary (not her real name), an ex-addict, said that at the height of her obsession with online games, she only slept once every two days.

“I was 16 then. I was having teenage angst and like my peers, I needed a world where I could be in control and I could win,” said the undergraduate.

Luckily, she grew out from the phase when she was 19. Her bad grades were a nasty wake-up call, said the 21-year-old.

Father of three and marketing manager Simon Lee worries that his children will neglect their studies if they spend too much time on the computer.

But he could soon have a solution.

Software engineer Wayne Koong has invented a programme which slows down Internet programmes tremendously, to make the viewers get impatient and lose interest.

Source: The Star Newspaper