A Word From Our Youth On Privacy For Online Children Safety
Often we as parents struggle with how to keep our children safe online. We worry that our children are navigating a world vastly different than the ones that we grew up in and they are. However, providing a safe space where youth can discuss their off and online lives without judgment, is one of the first steps to safeguarding our children.
Today, we share advice from Childhood USA’s Youth Engagement Intern Maya Mintz-Coccoluto on privacy.
Privacy
by. Maya Mintz Coccoluto, age 18
As an 18-year-old who has spent the past four years dedicated to building a program for children to feel safe and secure to ask questions and dive into meaningful conversations, I would like to take the time to speak on the topic of privacy.
The definition of privacy is “the state or condition of being free from being observed or disturbed by other people.”
Privacy can and should be something beautiful that offers individuals healthy autonomy in their adolescence to carry on into adulthood. Each and every person should be allowed the space to keep what we feel is sacred and private to ourselves and share with only the people we wish to hold us through our vulnerability. Unfortunately time and time again I hear of parents breaching trust instead of communicating and leading their children through obstacles and mistakes with conversation.
So open your eyes and remember that when force and pressure are held against us anger, frustration and hurt will be met in return.
By giving your child the space to hold privacy you are opening a door to conversation, instead of silently searching for threats and danger. As teenagers, if you give us the information we will rise up and meet you in the discussion instead of turning away when we feel that you are not respecting our privacy and in turn us. I want to offer a new approach- tell your child exactly what you are fearing for them.
Communicate about why you as a parent are pulled down the rabbit hole of disregarding privacy because you are so hyper-focused on keeping your children safe, as they enter the world both online and offline as curious, growing, and young adults. Parents, we deserve to know what the dangers are. Take your time explaining to us the ins and outs of grooming. Teach us about how to keep ourselves protected from online predators. And then listen to what we have to say, create the space to foster our ideas and input around these difficult topics- we want to be involved in the larger conversation and in doing so learn to keep ourselves, our siblings, and friends safe.
