Kid Stuf

Technology is one thing children these days are always in touch with. Seven-year olds get mobile phones for their birthdays, and toddlers know how to work a PlayStation Portable. Then there’s the computer, and of course, the World Wide Web. The Internet is one of the friendliest things a child can come to know. It has everything amusing, and is always a great short-cut for tedious homework from school. It’s also loaded with fun and games where your child can interact with peers. But these technological advancements can also cause a drastic decline in your child’s positive development.

Enter cyber-bullying. Simply put, it is when your child is getting bullied, by someone using these forms of technology, or by the technology itself. Parents can mistake the signs for normal phases and shrug them off, only making the child’s trauma deeper.

• Watch out for these signs, and help you child confront his or her cyber-bully and regain his or her confidence:
• Your child stays away from the telephone, the computer, cellphone and other technological devices for communication.
• Your child gets extra anxious and fidgety when he or she receives a text message, or gets a call or an email. Notice the increased flitting glances, sweating, and fidgeting as well as the attempt to avoid the text, call, or email. You will also notice evading mechanisms such as pretending to be asleep, going to the bathroom, etc.
• He or she withdraws from social circle and refuses to interact with family and friends.
• He or she may have declining grades in school, and may not even want to go to school and other extra-curricular activities.