Written By Olena Riznyk
PARKHILL – Children today are navigating an online world many parents don’t fully understand–and often without supervision.
That was the focus of a recent Internet Safety information session held at the North Middlesex Community Centre, where families gathered to learn how to better protect their children online.
The event was organized by local school councils in partnership with the Thames Valley District School Board and the Municipality of North Middlesex, following strong interest from parents.
“This topic of keeping your children safe online was by far the most popular,” said Marie Walker, chair of the McGillivray Central Public School council. “We asked parents what they wanted to learn more about, and this clearly stood out.”
The session featured keynote speaker Charlene Doak-Gebauer, an international expert in online child protection, who introduced the concept of “digital supervision”–an approach that encourages active parental involvement in children’s online lives. “There’s a huge gap between what parents know and what kids know,” she said. “Without awareness, people don’t realize the magnitude of what children are facing online.”
Doak-Gebauer emphasized that supervision is not about mistrust, but about safety. “It is not spying on our children… it’s no different than keeping them safe in public.”
She outlined several risks that many parents may not recognize. Among them is the growing use of “burner phones”–secondary devices children may hide from parents and connect to public Wi-Fi, making their activity difficult to track.
She also warned that common restrictions can be easily bypassed. Children may use mobile hotspots, VPNs or shared networks to avoid filters and monitoring systems, even within schools.
Artificial intelligence tools were another concern. While widely used, chatbots can create unhealthy emotional attachment or expose children to inappropriate content if left unsupervised. “If you give a child a phone, you need to supervise that device,” she said. “You can’t just hand it over and let them do whatever they want.”
The session also focused on practical steps parents can take immediately. These include keeping internet routers in controlled areas, turning off access at night, and requiring devices to be charged in a parent’s room.
Doak-Gebauer also encouraged regular, unannounced checks of children’s devices and setting clear expectations through a family agreement about online behaviour. “Trust your children, yes – but trust they might make a mistake,” she said.
The message of the evening was direct: in today’s digital environment, passive parenting is no longer enough – active supervision is essential.
