Parents: Why You Should Monitor Your Child’s Use of Online Video Websites

Are you a parent?  Whether your child is still considered young in age or if they are teenager, there is a good chance that they will be using the internet. In the past few years, a lot of focus as been placed on internet safety. Many parents, as well as teachers, politicians, and police officers, are concerned with the individuals who come into contact with children online, especially predators.  Much of this focus has been placed on the monitoring of online chat rooms and social networking sites.  However, as a parent, you should also be concerned with online video websites.

Online video websites, such as YouTube or Google Video, are known as websites that allow internet users to view the videos that are hosted on the site.  Many of these sites allow free video viewing. What many parents are unaware of is that internet users can also make, upload, and share their own videos.  As a parent, you will want to know whether or not your child is doing this.  

Your child makes online videos, so what?  Is that what you are thinking?  There is a good chance that it is because a lot of parents feel that way.  Unfortunately, many are unaware of the types of videos that can be found online.  Some online video websites prohibit videos that have pornographic materials, but besides that little restrictions are in place.  In fact, there are some internet users who have decided to use online videos websites as if they were dating websites.  Is your teenager one of them?

One of the first things that you should do is talk to your child about online video websites.  Even though you may not want to alert them to these websites, there is a good chance that they already know about them. It may be a good idea to ask your child whether or not they have made their own online videos.  It may also be a good idea to determine what the content of those videos are and where they were hosted.

When it comes to getting information from your child, especially teenagers, there is a good chance that you may get an inaccurate response.  But, if you know that your child is making use of online video websites, you may be able to find their video or videos on your own. This can be done by visiting popular video websites, such as Google Video or YouTube, and performing a search.  You may want to try searching for your child’s name, the town in which you reside in, or any screen names that they may have used.  If your child has posted an online video, there is a good chance that you will be able to find it.

Whether or not you find an online video that your child has made, it is important that you emphasis on safety.  It is perfectly okay, as long as you agree, for your child to view online videos or make their own, but they need to be aware of the consequences.  It is important to let your child know how to stay safe online, especially when making their own videos to share with other internet users.  Let them know it is unwise to include personal information about themselves, such as their full name, their telephone number, and their address. Be sure to emphasize the fact that online video websites are viewed by millions of people. This means that their video will likely get watched by people who they don’t even know.

If you are concerned with the way that your child is or may be using an online video website, you may want to take action. That action could involve having the websites blocked or just monitoring them.  As previously mentioned, you have the ability to decide what is or isn’t right for your children. However, it is also important to note that a number of fun and educational videos can also be obtained online.  If you plan on monitoring your child’s use of online video websites, you are encouraged to take a look the sites with them. In fact, you may enjoyable entertainment that you weren’t expecting to find. 

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