Roflz
Oct 18, 2006, 01:56 AM
Hello, I'm a parent and i have a son who is 13 years of age and played online games. I bought a computer for my kids and installed internet connections because i understand in this age of science and technology when computers as well as internet are getting more and more important such that owning one is no longer a luxury but a necessity, our kids had to be exposed to this electronic or digital information superhighway if they are to be promptly educated, not left behind or being drowned in this sea of information technology or superhighway.
The problem is, although it is very good indeed to have such a gadget in our house, there are hidden dark or negative elements attached to it. As a parent i know there must be an apt balance between study and play, 'healthy' outdoor activities, social participation et cetera if our chidren are to grow up independent, bright, educated, responsible and mature. I also understand that there is nothing wrong of having a computer or internet access because there are indeed alot of positive elements to it as this gadget is widely used in government departments, science research, business, universities et cetera, and this forum is a good example.
The problem started when my son downloaded online games like Fly For Fun and Rose Online, at first i was pleased because he gets to enjoy the games with his friends and make friends with kids from around the world from other countries, learning other cultures and understanding them, of course i was there with him on my off days when he was playing as he needs supervision as i was very afraid he might make friends with strangers who might harbor evil intentions and schemes like being recruited into a gang or vice, worse, our daughters being duped, the computer is password protected so that he won't be able to play when i was not around at home, at least i am there to guide him what is right or what is wrong, to be cautious.
However, after a month as usual i was going through my bills and the internet bill is one of them, to my surprise there was a great increase in charge. I thought maybe the company had made a mistake or billed the wrong account to me so i checked a list that records the time usage of the internet access as well who was connecting and to where. Again i was very surprised when the record shows someone was using my computer when i was away working and its accessing not only Fly For Fun and Rose online games but other internet games as well, i could not believe what i was seeing so i checked my computer for the extra online games, to my horror i found those other online games are cleverly hidden in folders newly created and hidden in certain folders like Microsoft or Geforce video folder i never thought would be.
That means my son had been using the computer to play online games when i was at work or not at home when he should be studying, engage in school activities or doing homework. He is addicted to online gaming and this is not what i intended for him when i bought him the computer, i was so furious. What puzzles me is that how did he know the password to the computer? Then i remember he brought his friends to our house to watch him play, and one of them i saw was using a camera phone to take snapshots of my son playing, could be that he got to know the password through his friends? Thus i changed the password to the computer often when my son was not around and i'm alone and only access to the computer before he and his friends arrived to play, and i even go further by grouping these online games into one folder and made it password protected.
In summary, having a computer is not a bad thing, the key is balance in activities like school activities, good social gatherings like group studies and et cetera, a balance of correct amount of work, play and studies. Too much of one thing is not good, and too little of one thing like online gaming may impede the growth of imagination in a child's brain.
I wrote this to inform other parents that there are such incidences as what is happening to me now, and in so doing to help others i help myself and my son.
The problem is, although it is very good indeed to have such a gadget in our house, there are hidden dark or negative elements attached to it. As a parent i know there must be an apt balance between study and play, 'healthy' outdoor activities, social participation et cetera if our chidren are to grow up independent, bright, educated, responsible and mature. I also understand that there is nothing wrong of having a computer or internet access because there are indeed alot of positive elements to it as this gadget is widely used in government departments, science research, business, universities et cetera, and this forum is a good example.
The problem started when my son downloaded online games like Fly For Fun and Rose Online, at first i was pleased because he gets to enjoy the games with his friends and make friends with kids from around the world from other countries, learning other cultures and understanding them, of course i was there with him on my off days when he was playing as he needs supervision as i was very afraid he might make friends with strangers who might harbor evil intentions and schemes like being recruited into a gang or vice, worse, our daughters being duped, the computer is password protected so that he won't be able to play when i was not around at home, at least i am there to guide him what is right or what is wrong, to be cautious.
However, after a month as usual i was going through my bills and the internet bill is one of them, to my surprise there was a great increase in charge. I thought maybe the company had made a mistake or billed the wrong account to me so i checked a list that records the time usage of the internet access as well who was connecting and to where. Again i was very surprised when the record shows someone was using my computer when i was away working and its accessing not only Fly For Fun and Rose online games but other internet games as well, i could not believe what i was seeing so i checked my computer for the extra online games, to my horror i found those other online games are cleverly hidden in folders newly created and hidden in certain folders like Microsoft or Geforce video folder i never thought would be.
That means my son had been using the computer to play online games when i was at work or not at home when he should be studying, engage in school activities or doing homework. He is addicted to online gaming and this is not what i intended for him when i bought him the computer, i was so furious. What puzzles me is that how did he know the password to the computer? Then i remember he brought his friends to our house to watch him play, and one of them i saw was using a camera phone to take snapshots of my son playing, could be that he got to know the password through his friends? Thus i changed the password to the computer often when my son was not around and i'm alone and only access to the computer before he and his friends arrived to play, and i even go further by grouping these online games into one folder and made it password protected.
In summary, having a computer is not a bad thing, the key is balance in activities like school activities, good social gatherings like group studies and et cetera, a balance of correct amount of work, play and studies. Too much of one thing is not good, and too little of one thing like online gaming may impede the growth of imagination in a child's brain.
I wrote this to inform other parents that there are such incidences as what is happening to me now, and in so doing to help others i help myself and my son.