Pre teen and phone online games

Anonymous

Pre teen and phone online games

Yesterday my child told someone he thinks his friend has taken their own life unknown to me my 11yr old has been chatting to others online via a few different apps yes I should have kept checking phone I'm not tech savvy and now I'm at lost of what to do it turned out is was just a prank but they had been chatting daily for weeks about basic life no deals given my child seams to not understand the danger and kept saying he didn't give out address or school he goes to do can't see the issue here how do U get them to understand n yes their is punishment and education coming I'm just at a lost of how to get them to understand it's more then giving person info this person has said if U don't reply soon I'll end my life knowing U don't care and then didn't reply for 48hrs saying sorry it was a joke my child was a mess with worry not eating ect where to start sorry this post is all over the place as I'm still trying to get my head around it all

Posted in:  Mental Health, Anxiety & Depression, Behaviour, Teenagers, Tips and Advice

2 Replies

Anonymous

I wouldn’t be letting my child play with people online that he doesn’t know. Also make sure the device is in a communal area so you can hear and check in with what’s happening.
Its a condition of having devices that they are checked and that they aren’t in bedrooms until certain ages/demonstrated safety competence.
You need to spend some time learning how to use his devices and setting restrictions. If you know any adults who game, ask them to give you some lessons. There are also courses you can do, in sure you can find one online to do.

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Anonymous

Sorry the phone goes, 11 yr old are not old enough to have a phone(if they do it should only be a very basic phone with calls and text and only be used if they have to get themselves too and from school) and if they want to play games that require chat it is in a common room of the house, You need to educate yourself in the devices they use and the games they play....so play with them.
As for the prank I would be telling my child to say away from this child they obviously do not want to be a real friend....as real friends would not do that.

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