Did you know, the average a child gets their first smartphone is ten? How about, 64% of children have access to the internet from their own device and 39% have a social media account by 11?
Seriously.
While I love to live in ignorant bliss that my son, won't do this or have that... I know technology is a huge part of life today, so trying to shield him from tech is not only stupid, it does him a disservice as well.
I'll admit, I did have a hard time with him getting an iPad for his fifth birthday. I caved because I knew the positive side was learning apps, books, and, well, five friggin' minutes of peace for me! We set up parental restrictions on his iPad, even 'hid' the app store so there was no way he could download anything without us knowing.
For now, I'm cool with the technology my son has access to and the time he spends playing with it. I've decided to not freak out about technology taking over my son's life and exposing him to dirty assface predators, but rather take each tech-issue as it comes. I imagine the older he gets the more difficult it will be to completely protect him. I just hope starting now, and monitoring each stage of the progression through learning apps, to video games, to cyberspace will allow me to teach him about the dangers and safe surfing.
Below is a great infographic with tips and information about ways to keep your child safe in Cyberspace.
