Monitoring screen time can help protect kids this summer

Jun. 3—Summer break is underway for St. Joseph kids, and the extra free time could lead to more screen time, and in turn, an increased risk of unsafe interactions.

With the lack of structured learning time, homework and extracurricular activities, it can be tempting for kids to spend hours a day on social media, not only bringing an increased risk of mental health problems but also of interacting with predators.

Cybercrimes against children are a growing concern, and experts say parents of young children should be monitoring what and who they are engaging with online this summer.

"They're going to have plenty of time on their hands and time can be risky in some circumstances," said Melissa Birdsell, executive director at Voices of Courage Child Advocacy Center. "I know there's that line of, we want our kids to feel like they have privacy, but unfortunately, children also need to have protection so set those boundaries and let them know you will be looking at their phone or iPad occasionally to check in."

Predators often try to operate in an appealing way to victimize children, and parents can play a role in preventing this over the summer by enforcing time limits and implementing parental controls.

"One thing they need to do is play with the iPad or the phones in the living room or, in a room where you are going to be," Birdsell said. "Not necessarily just holed up in their bedroom by themselves for hours on end with no supervision. This isn't to say phones and the internet is a bad thing because we all have it, but it's just like anything else, we've got to have some restrictions."

Summer is also a time when child abuse can go unnoticed and unreported due to school being out. Being mindful of the individuals who are taking care of your children this summer can prevent incidents that may end up in bad outcomes for a child.

"Remember to have those open conversations with your child and honor their feelings," Birdsell said. "If they don't want to go somewhere like to a relative's house, ask them kindly why they're uncomfortable going there and those conversations need to happen more than one time because they might not always open up the first time."

Jenna Wilson can be reached at [email protected].