Sunday, October 24, 2010

Digital Parenting?

If you have children, it's time for a chat. Help adolescents stay safe. Sharing part of a wonderful article I read on this subject. What was once private can be made public with a keystroke, and once a message is in cyberspace, it can be copied, shared, forwarded and posted. Young people who send an...d receive messages when they are the most trusting and vulnerable can have serious implications. Parents and teens need to talk about the ramifications and implications of new and emerging technologies, but not always easy as kids usually know more than the parents. Young people navigate the software but they may not consider what a comment in MySpace or Facebook does to their reputation, their future education or a job, let alone the feelings of others. Cyber realities could be hot topics and deserve discussion. You can help adolescents stay safe without nagging. There are ways to help you figure out what to say, when to talk and how to word it so your kids are aware of the issues while they enjoy and benefit from the cyberworld. Our children are in the virtual world. We do need to protect them and empower them! But, they need to know about risky behavior like a picture meant for one person, but received by many could put kids at risk of being bullied. Have the talk on how the media affects our lives and the importance of developing a culture of respect.