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ThedaCare Physician Offers Advice to Keep Children Safe Online
Personal tablets and laptop computers are standard equipment for most students today. Add in the fact that many kids have cell phones and it means kids can be online almost anywhere and anytime. That adds a new dimension of concern for parents as they teach their children to be safe in a 24/7 world.
“Technology is everywhere today,” said Cynthia Fisher, D.O., a Family Medicine Phsyican at
ThedaCare Physicians-Oshkosh. “Most schools are using tablets and laptops for day-to-day learning, so they have become essential learning tools. Keeping track of how our children are using the technology available to them is a very important aspect of our role as a parent.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers this advice for helping manage kids’ online presence and activity:
In addition, the Family Online Safety Institute recommends:
Dr. Fisher noted that in addition to internet safety, cyberbullying can also be a problem for kids.
“When bullying happens over social media, it might be more difficult for parents, teachers and others to be aware of,” she said.
The AAP notes that cyberbullying can happen through text messaging, on social media sites, apps, e-mail, web forums or multi-player online games. It can involve:
“The challenging problem of cyberbullying is that can happen anywhere, anyplace, anytime of the day, it’s anonymous, and it can spread quickly,” said Dr. Fisher. “It can contribute to physical and mental health problems and academic struggles. Bullying of any kind should not be tolerated and needs to be addressed quickly.”
The AAP offers this advice for parents of children being cyberbullied:
“Be sure your child knows that bullying is never okay,” said Dr. Fisher. “Be a positive role model in-person and online. Show them how to have empathy for others. If necessary, develop solutions with your child’s school principal, teachers, social workers or psychologists, and parents of the children your child has bullied.”
Dr. Fisher noted that children need to learn how to manage with his/her aggressive feelings in a way that is not threatening to others.
“Monitoring our children’s online lives is an important responsibility,” she said. “Open lines of communication about a child’s activity can be a great way to establish an even stronger bond between parent and child and increase trust, and those are relationship assets that are extremely valuable.”
For more than 110 years, ThedaCare® has been committed to improving the health of the communities it serves in northeast and central Wisconsin. The organization delivers care to more than 600,000 residents in 18 counties and employs approximately 7,000 health care professionals. ThedaCare has 180 points of care, including seven hospitals. As an organization committed to being a leader in Population Health, team members are dedicated to empowering people to live their best lives through easy access to individualized care, supporting each person’s own health and wellbeing. ThedaCare also partners with communities to understand unique needs, finding solutions together, and encouraging health awareness and action. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care Network Member, giving specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts on a patient’s care. ThedaCare is a not-for-profit health system with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs, as well as primary care.
For more information, visit thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on social media. Members of the media should call Cassandra Wallace, Public and Media Relations Consultant at 920.442.0328 or the ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah switchboard at 920.729.3100 and ask for the marketing person on call.
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