In this culture, providing a cell phone and Internet access seems as critical to the well-being of teens as learning games and Legos did when they were toddlers. And certainly there are immense benefits to technology. You can contact your child by cell phone almost anyplace or anytime. The Internet allows incredible access to information.
The Downside of Technology
Unfortunately, the downside includes reports of teen sexting, sending nude or seminude photos and sexually explicit text messages on cell phones. Teens are also posting these types of images and messages on social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Email and webcams allow them to participate in cybersex. And parents provide the very tools of technology that can lead children to these forms of sexual misconduct.
Clearly, cyberspace and the cell phone have taken parents beyond the fears of teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and AIDS. The risks and consequences include teens being arrested and having to register as sexual offenders. Students are being denied acceptance to colleges, which peruse social-networking sites to look for inappropriate photos or comments. Employers are even investigating job applicants online, looking for a history of good character.
Teach Cybersafety
Be involved! It’s easiest to start when your children are young. If they are already teens, stand firm in your supervision. Approach it in a calm, loving manner rather than that of an investigator. Your goal is not to catch them being bad but to keep them safe.
- Know your children. Who are they friends with? With whom do they chat online? It’s important to know their real-life friends and their cyber friends. Where do they go when they leave your house? What sites do they visit online? On which sites do they have profiles? Check out the sites and their profiles.
- Make your home an open forum. Maintain an open dialogue and share opinions. Be honest but nonjudgmental. Exchange information about the risks your teens face and ask what they think. Share news reports, articles, and surveys from publications such as teenink.com and CosmoGirl.com. Guide them to understand for themselves the consequences of their actions.
- Set standards. Clearly lay out your expectations for behavior, both online and offline. Good manners and consideration of others should exist in both realms. Set distinct and concrete consequences, and be willing to follow through. Perhaps the use of foul language in emails could result in the loss of computer privileges for a period of time. Decide what works for your family.
- Supervise and limit the use of technology. Parental Control software, like Net Nanny, helps parents monitor Internet usage. Verizon Wireless’s Backup Assistant backs up the contact list from your child’s phone onto your My Verizon account. Verizon’s Usage Controls feature allows parents to determine usage allowances for minutes and messages, set time restrictions, and block certain numbers.
While technology has its perils, the good outweighs the bad. It is the abuse of these tools that endangers kids. Set the standards of behavior. Find out what tools are available to help you limit and monitor your children’s electronic communication. Talk to your children about the consequences of sending and posting sexually implicit images and messages. Be a part of your teens’ lives and maintain an open relationship. The rest is up to them!
 |
