this post was submitted on 10 May 2026
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Say you were a guardian or parent and get to decide when a child can get a phone or use a computer and get internet with it. If you wish you can also install software and change router settings to what you see fit.

Some parents decide to forbid the internet completely, others are more relaxed. Some go the helicopter route, and some do not care whatsoever what their kid does online.

What is your policy on letting a child use the internet?

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[–] Triumph@fedia.io 3 points 1 week ago

Granted, this was a little while back, but we raised our kids with semi-supervised internet, with regular reminders about "don't even tell internet randos your real name." By semi-supervised, I mean that the computer was in a relatively public place, and we'd check on them often - so they knew that a parent could be over their shoulder in a moment.

It's definitely a balancing act. You want them to learn the computer and interpersonal skills but you don't want them in real trouble. And so you have to be permissive with a taut leash.

They got phones in junior high, 11 or 12 years old. Another balance between safety and "this is how kids communicate now". They got a healthy foundation with previous exposure/experience, so we felt they could handle that. Yes, there were times when we had to temporarily confiscate a phone, and the other rule was "parents get to look at your phone whenever they want for any or no reason". We exercised that clause, too.

They're all grown now and all appear to be using technology in healthy ways. We're lucky that the balance we tried to strike actually stuck.