Some Perspective:
As an Internet safety advocate, I am the first to acknowledge the “real” risks when it comes to youth and young adults and their on-line activities specific to safety, security and their digital footprint. Having said this however, we parents and educators must put these on-line risks into perspective when compared to the following:
· The number one killer of youths in Canada: Drinking and driving
· The number two killer of youth in Canada: Getting into a car with a drunk driver
· The number three killer of youth in Canada: Getting into a car and not wearing a seatbelt
· The number four killer of youth: Suicide
· The largest target group when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases in Canada: youth between the ages of 15-24yrs
· Teenage pregnancy in Canada although declining over the past ten years, is still a significant issue that we need to be alive to.
· In Canada 1.6 million youth are considered to be overweight or obese
· Although we have seen a decrease in youth smoking rates, there are an estimated 1.2 million smokers in Canada between the ages of 15-24yrs
· The rate of drug use by youth 15-24 years of age remains much higher than that reported by adults 25 years and older: three times higher for cannabis use (25.1% versus 7.9%), and almost nine times higher for past-year use of any drug excluding cannabis (7.9% versus 0.8%).
· The rate of drug use by youth 15-24 years of age remains much higher than that reported by adults 25 years and older: three times higher for cannabis use (25.1% versus 7.9%), and almost nine times higher for past-year use of any drug excluding cannabis (7.9% versus 0.8%).
Yes there are on-line risks that we need to make our youth an young adults aware of, but let’s not forget about the above noted off-line challenges that that are just as risky (if not more so) than those encountered on-line.
For me it’s all about balance, perspective and education that is "enlightening not frightening"
Darren
The Digital Sheepdog
