Technology is relatively new in terms of its prevalence with children. As many parents are not as up-to-date with the latest gadgets, they tend to have little knowledge on the possible effects technology might bring. But technology, while useful, brings many negative effects to teens' lives. Parents who have technophile kids should be aware of the possible risks and dangers.
Predators
Informed parents know that the media blows the prevalence of online sexual predators out of proportion. However, they do exist, and they often go after easy targets, namely children. Technology such as the Internet and smart phones give both children and predators the ability to make contact with large amounts of new people. Uninformed children might feel they are making a friend but in fact are running the risk of being preyed upon. The key risk here, though, is not the predator but the lack of adult knowledge about technology and the lack of supervision parents give to their children’s online behaviors. Parents who feel bad prying into their children’s lives are ignoring the fact that most children, especially teens, are sexually curious, willing to take risks, and have poor decision-making behaviors. So, while not common, sexual predators do exist and should be something parents talk to their kids about before allowing them full reign online.
Mental Health Problems
Clinical coordinator at Illinois Addiction Recovery Shannon Chrismore wrote in the book, “Internet Addiction: A Handbook and Guide to Evaluation and Treatment,” about the comorbidity between technology addiction and other mental health problems, mainly depression and anxiety disorder. Chrismore found that 76 percent of those seeking treatment for technology addiction were also positive on a depression diagnosis; 24 percent were positive on an anxiety disorder diagnosis. The more children use technology, the more likely