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Is it okay to have a computer in my child's bedroom?

1,174 views · Published 31 August 2011 · 2:17 · Indexed 26 September 2026

Channel: IntermountainParents · 2011 · Education

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I would recommend that you do not allow your child to have a computer in their bedroom. The reason for that is two-fold.  Number one, you want to know what they are doing on the computer. You want to make sure you are able to supervise what websites they're going to, who they're talking to or communicating with, and what they're watching. The second part of that is that they really should not spend any more time than 2 hours total a day on what we call screen time, which would be TV, computer, video games, game boys, any of that sedentary electronic time, because it really impairs their ability to get out and be active.  It's been shown to be an indicator for risk for childhood obesity to have more than 2 hours a day of that kind of screen time.  And you just need to know what they're doing on the computer. If it's in their bedroom, then you're less likely to see what they're doing. If it's ideally like in the kitchen or living room or somewhere parents can walk by, check on things, look at what they're doing, have parental control over their access. 

Some of the reasons why you want to know what your children are doing when they're on the computer would include accessing things like pornography or inappropriate websites, cyber bullying - which is a huge issue for school age kids. So, the bullying is just like you remember when you were a kid.  There would be a kid who's maybe a little more awkward or not socially appropriate, and other kids might pick on him, but they do it on facebook - "You're an idiot, you're stupid, nobody likes you" - and then getting everyone to come and post on your wall. There have actually been children who have committed suicide because of what's been done to them on the internet by their peers. Predators can access children's information, you know, a chat room where they're talking to someone who they think is another 8 year old, and it's really a 50 year old pedifile. So it's important to know what you're children are doing on the internet.

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