For parents of adolescents

Your child has reached a phase in life where his/her use of electronic media will increase significantly. As you are no doubt aware, it is important that you continue to take an interest in your child’s media use and discuss matters relating to it with him/her. Media education forms part of your child’s upbringing.

In particular, the internet is not a detached, virtual island, but part of children’s and adolescents’ everyday lives. Children and adolescents meet their friends, spend time and acquire information on their interests on the internet. Correspondingly, you probably feel the need to familiarise yourself with the internet services your child is using and be present whenever he/she needs guidance.

Internet

Familiarise yourself with and discuss the following

• Familiarise yourself with the types of media and electronic services that adolescents use.
• Parents do not need to know how to do everything that adolescents can do. The most important thing is to discuss matters often and show an interest in what your child does on the web.
• Adolescents still need the support and presence of their parents

Set rules together

• Teach your adolescent offspring to react to inappropriate or disturbing material. They can either tell you about the matter or inform the service's webmaster or the authorities. However, responsibility for internet content falls on everyone.
• Instruct your child to consider where he or she wants to draw the line regarding his/her privacy.
• Remind your child that it may be impossible to retrieve material that is posted on the internet. Other people’s personal details and photographs may not be distributed to anyone without the consent of the person in question.
• Remind your child that he or she must always tell a trusted adult if he/she plans to meet an online friend in the real world.
• Remind your child that downloading and uploading text, images or music may infringe copyright laws.
• Remind your child that online bullying is not allowed. Consider together how best to intervene in cases of bullying

Mobile phone

• Agree together on how the mobile phone should be used: whether your child is allowed to use the internet or order ring tones or games. Under-18-year-old adolescents may only make small purchases without their guardian's consent.
• A price limit may be set for mobile phones. From various service blocks, you can also select those that ideally suit your family.
• It is necessary to turn your mobile phone off in various situations, and loud speaking in public spaces or situations should be avoided.
• It is polite to ask for permission to take photographs. Publishing a photograph without the consent of the pictured person may also constitute bullying.
• Ask your child to save unpleasant messages just in case, and to inform you of them for possible further action.

Television, movies and games

Familiarise yourself with and discuss the following

• Show an interest in your adolescent child’s TV and movie watching habits and the games he or she plays. Discuss the things he or she experiences.
• Take it upon yourself to know what is being watched and played at your child's friends’ homes.

Set rules together

• Agree on which programmes can be watched and which games played. Follow the age limits for movies and games. Also, tell your relatives which games and movies may be bought for your adolescent child.
• If necessary, set time limits and keep to them.

Further information online

Information for parents on children and adolescents' web use www.tietoturvakoulu.fi, www.mll.fi/viisaastiverkossa ja www.nettivihje.net
Age limits for movies www.vet.fi
Children and mobile phones www.mapel.fi
The age limits and transmission times for TV programmes that may be disturbing to children http:// www.ficora.fi
Polite phone use in public places www.alakailota.fi

Updated 17.02.2009