In the fall of 2018, we studied which sites are most often visited by children. The statistics were collected by an exceptional service that monitors the child's phone activity on the network. And according to the information, 24% of users visited dating sites at least once a month. Let's look together for the answer to the question, “What are children looking for on dating sites” are there any real reasons to worry?
Why do kids use dating apps and sites
First, the child's age plays a huge role when visiting such sites. Let's figure it out.
To register on a dating site, you must confirm that the user is 18. If your child is 6-7 years old, and you find out that the child uses such programs, you can even be a little proud of him. Your child was able to correctly fill in information about himself, and independently figured out how to use the application. Not all children at this age are capable of this. At this age, interest in dating sites is driven by curiosity. The child's likelihood of visiting the application to get to know someone is minimal. Therefore, you should not worry. It is better to transfer this curiosity to social networks. There, the child will definitely find his social circle.
A child aged 7-10 may also be interested in what is hidden on dating applications. But this is a different kind of curiosity. It is interesting for a child to try on the role of an adult, to understand how they communicate in this world. It is during the period of 7-10 children that children actively use the computer. Furthermore, it can be social networks, games, and dating applications. There is no solid reason for worry. The main thing is to have a conversation and tell them that people can use the Internet for evil purposes. Tell him about all the dangers if you notice that your child is actively using apps and dating sites. Better yet, switch your attention to social networks, where he can find peers with similar interests.
Teenagers see life differently. At the age of 10-15, children consider themselves old enough, they try to find themselves, to discover new roles. Most of the life of a teenager is spent communicating with peers. But it is not a fact that they are on dating apps. For teenagers, it is essential:
- feel grown up and independent;
- have the same rights as adults;
- gain respect and recognition from peers;
- attract the attention of the opposite sex.
That is what they are looking for on dating sites. Because for a teenager, is an ideal way to get into the world of adults from a secret entrance.
Why do kids use dating apps?
We figured out the reasons why children are interested in dating services. But what do they get there?
Visibility control of the conversation. It is elementary to interrupt the discussion on the Internet to avoid unpleasant topics. First, it is the control of the conversation. The Internet allows you to become a different person for a few minutes. Online communication reveals self-confidence and creates different images. It helps the teenager to find himself and discover his own personality. At the same time, children learn to communicate. Communication is an essential part of development. Online socialize makes it easy to talk to people.
The opportunity to feel like an adult. On dating apps, it's easy to talk about adult topics without fear of being judged.
Networking can be a substitute for therapy. Talking to someone about your feelings and emotions online is much easier. The invisible interlocutor seems to understand everything you are talking about and will never judge.
Cons of using dating apps
Perhaps the child uses dating sites to learn how to communicate, or just out of boredom. At first glance, there is nothing like this. But everything has its drawbacks, and dating services are no exception. It is worth highlighting the following points:
- lack of communication skills;
- dubious people;
- waste of time.
Correspondence is good. But the online conversation will never replace face-to-face communication. In addition, it isn't easy to understand intonation and emotions online. They are replaced with emoticons that are not in real life. Even if a person is actively chatting in chats, he could be better at honest conversations. Dating sites will never replace live communication.
Sometimes on dating sites, there are dubious personalities. A teenager may come across as a scammer, a pedophile, a psychopath, or simply an inadequate person. Online, even an adult will not be able to distinguish a psycho from an average person. Communication with such people will definitely not benefit the child. Therefore, it is worth using particular applications to show its network activity. If a teenager wants to go to a meeting with a virtual friend, let him put on a GPS watch. And he keeps his phone with the included application with him. It is your minimum peace of mind.
If a child spends all the time online, he will have little time for real life. Communication with peers, hobbies, and exciting events will pass by.
How to react to parents?
There are two options for parental response: prohibition and ignoring. You can prohibit your child from using the Internet or visiting websites. But remember that children will always find a way out of the situation. A ban will only ruin trusting relationships.
You can ignore the fact that the child visits dating apps. It takes a lot of willpower to do this, but it's possible. But it is worth remembering all the dangers that lurk on the Internet and what they can lead to.
It is crucial to find a middle ground between these two reactions. It would help if you told children about dating sites' dangers. Teenagers need to find out what they are looking for there. Do not criticize such entertainment. Understand your child's motives, and he will definitely not hide anything.
