to think this teen is spending too much time on the internet?

[doggyandteddy]

My recently aquired dsd age 13 seems to spend hours on the internet. She has her own laptop in her room with internet access and appears to spend the whole evening every night on msn etc...
Christ, I'm wondering what I did when I was 13...!!!
AIBU to worry that this is a hell of a lot of time to spend on the internet unsupervised?

I don't think YABU. I'd be concerned about the amount of unsupervised internet time (or at least, not in a public space). As a head of year I dealt with quite a few internet misuse issues which came into school - mild/not so mild bullying via msn and social networking sights, inappropriate photos being posted on Bebo etc - and in most cases the students involved had their own PCs which they used in their room.

We recommended that parents made themselves aware of what their children were doing online and put the PC in a public area where they could keep an eye on them. Restricting internet time was also a suggestion.

Obviously YMMV - and we advocated educating sensible usage rather than banning outright.

Dunno about your 13yr old but my 12yr old has to fight me to get on and has complained to DH about the amount of time I spend on the internet mumsnetting doing important work . Have been thinking of getting her her own wireless laptop just so she leaves me alone!!

I do so why shouldn't she?!

Got teenage ds a laptop for xmas so i could use pc to mn all night when ever I have some spare time

Hi all
Thanks for the comments. My own kids are only small so didn't know if it's like the pfb syndrome where you swear that you'll never do this, that and the next thing...

My Dcs are only small

But when niece came to stay she spent 8 hours on my computer she only moved to go to the loo
Saying she was doing homework
Everytime I came to look over her shoulder it was facebook and MSN

Shes only 13

Be thankful.
When I was 13 I was out getting drunk and snogging randon boys. On a school night.

god, i agree with op - i limit ds - aged 14 - to 2 hours and i still worry.
it is still hard to get him off.
it can't be good to be in front of a screen all that time,
think of posture, vision etc., etc.,

my boys aged 11 and 12 have own pc in their rooms we have time limits but they still spend alot of time on the web

4pm till 6pm homework
6pm -7pm dinner/tidy up
7pm-9pm pc/scouts
9pm shower and bed

weekends
play out mix with friends till 3ish then pc/tv etc till bed 10pm

TBH it frightens me. DSD has managed to find her dad (my dh) who she has not had contact with in years by creating her own identity on friends reunited then correspond with him thru email and msn all without her mother knowing anything about it.....
Am I being stupid to worry about this, I know I would want to know if my kids were doing all this without my knowledge

personally i think its a big mistake letting them have it in their bedrooms.

my dd (11) would be on msn til god knows what time if the pc wasn't in the family room.

As it is I have to nag her to get off it, but at least I can go past every now and then and look over her shoulder/ask who she's talking to/ask if she's done her homework. It drives her nuts but there's no way on earth I will let her have it in her bedroom.

DD1 is nearly 17 I reckon I can't control her anymore...she's seen it all/done it all, but the younger ones - no way.

What strikes me about the internet is ...it is wonderful in many ways but...there are no limits as to what you can find...no limits whatsoever. It is up to the parents to impose the limits.

my teens do not use the computer apart from in school or at friends

i dont think they are a good way to spend youth but thats my opinion

Question is- are they a good way to spend your middle age?

no cory!

'i am from the do as i say not as i do ' school of parenting....