The World our Teens are Growing Up in . . .
. . . is vastly different than the world we grew up in and how to help with their Algebra homework seems to be the least of our worries. Our teens are now playing in the Social Media playground and we have to learn how to engage in this world not only to protect them, but to simply communicate with them more easily.
As a parent, you need to learn about these technologies first hand. There is simply no better way than to have a profile yourself. It will also enable you to “friend” your teens and monitor them online and let your teen know that their use of technology is something you want and need to know about.
Talk to your teen daily about how they are using social media:
- “What did you write on Facebook today?”
- “Any new chats recently?”
- “Anyone text you today?”
Don’t forget to share a bit about your daily social media use as a way to facilitate daily conversation about your teens’ online habits.
Talk with other parents about what their teens of similar ages are using for social media. Ask your teens about those technologies as a starting point for discussion. If they are in the same peer group, there is a good chance they are all using the same platforms together.
To keep teens safe, have your teen show you where the privacy features are for every social media platform they are using. The more private, the less likely inappropriate material will be received by your teen, or sent to their circle of acquaintances.
- The World Our Teens are Growing Up In
- Types of Social Media Teens Use Daily
- The SCARY Ones
- Creating Family Internet Rules
- What is Hiding on Their Phones?
- Can my Teen Spend Too Much Time Online?
- Sexting
- Additional Resources
If you were at the presentation today and would like me to email you a copy of my presentation, just send me an email.
