The circumstances surrounding Maria Gomez-Perez’s disappearance and the events of the past two days have raised new concerns among many about the Internet and kids’ safety.
The 12-year-old disappeared from her Gainesville home May 29 but was located in Ohio Thursday in company of a 34-year-old man she met online. UPDATE #3: Break in Maria’s case came when she contacted her father (wgtjradio.com)
In the spring of 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory about the risks of social media on children and teens. The report provided advice about the “growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm to young people’s mental health.” That includes things like setting unrealistic expectations, increased depression and anxiety, and impacts on sleep.
But it’s not just social media that can affect your children’s physical and mental health online. The internet as a whole is a portal to the best and worst that society has to offer. And it’s changing every day.
“As parents, part of our job is to educate ourselves about what’s out there and what’s available to our kids,” Dr. Eshleman notes. “But kids are very smart. Their brains are wired to learn quickly. It’s hard to keep up with technology and content that evolves daily.”
So, how do you help your children respect the opportunities and dangers of the internet? And to what extent should you monitor their activity? Dr. Eshleman offers advice, and you can read about it here: Internet Safety for Kids: Online Safety Tips (clevelandclinic.org)
Law enforcement agencies periodically hold meetings at which Internet safety is discussed.