The Proof Is In The Pudding...

   I remember the very day I first discovered the Internet. I was maybe twelve years old. My parents had  something that vaguely resembles a computer and somehow I quickly found myself in a chat room. I don't even think I realized what I was doing. I remember Mom was making dinner and I felt this overwhelming urge to hide what I was doing. There is something about chatting online with complete strangers that even at a young age felt dangerous yet tempting. I don't even believe I realized I was talking with real live people. I had my fun and it passed, on with my intense life of a teenager I went. I worry now, for my children. I worry on a variety of levels. Children face more and at a younger age. Everything you ever want to know, at your finger tips via Google. With this rise in technology, the door opens and sometimes that door leads right in to your personal life. I know the times are changing, and I can prove it. At seven to twelve years old I was playing outside, riding bikes, hoping the street lights would not come on signaling it was time to call it a day and come on inside. I made up stories with my friends, ventured into places we were not exactly suppose to be and made wonderful childhood memories. I never sat in front of a computer, never played video games, never ate sugar all day long and never worried about what I see children of today worrying about. 

   The other day I was quickly reminded the times have changed when I realized my son had unintentionally hacked my bank account and spent 240 dollars on Internet gaming. He did not realize he was spending real money and I did not realize how easily one could link PayPal with Facebook. With just a click of a button I was at a loss of 240 dollars and my son was a billionaire on Zynga. At first I thought someone stole my identity, then I laughed thinking what an idiot that person must be, then after some investigation on my part I realized it was my own son and I couldn't help but think how much our children have access too. How much everyone has access too, how quickly one could hack your Facebook and bam, there in your bank account. As I am attempting to explain to him what happened to prevent this in the future, I found myself at a loss of words. How does a child even begin to comprehend and really why should a child have to?