Texting (4)

Let’s Talk About “Sexting”

 

As a parent, you have probably already had the “sex talk” with your teenage son or daughter, but have you had the “sexting” talk? ‘Sexting’ is the practice of sending sexually explicit messages or images electronically, primarily via mobile phone. These messages and images can spread like wildfire through schools or even across the country and can even get posted on public websites—turning what may have seemed like a harmless act into one with severe consequences.

If you don’t think this is a problem with teens, think again. According to CommonSenseMedia.org, 22% of teen girls and 20% of teen boys have sent nude or semi-nude photos of themselves and 38% of all teens believe that exchanging such sexy content makes dating or hooking up with others more likely. Wow, those are sobering statistics.

As a security expert, I want to help parents deal with this growing problem and keep their children (and themselves) out of harm’s way. Here are some tips from my new ebook, Safe Text: Protecting Your Teens from the Dangers of Texting:

• Give your teen clear rules on what they can and can’t do with their mobile phone.
• Learn how to use and monitor your teen’s mobile phones.


• Talk about pressures to send revealing photos. Let teens know that you understand that they can be pushed or dared into sending something. Tell them that no matter how big the social pressure is, the potential social humiliation will be hundreds of times worse.


• Remind them that once an image is sent, it can never be retrieved – and they will lose control of it.


• The buck stops with them. If someone sends them a photo, have them delete it immediately

Don’t forget to enter the contest on Facebook to win a Kindle Fire @ www.protectyourteens.com

 

Contact us at: diane@protectyourteens.com

www.protectyourteens.com   or www.securityfirstassociates.com

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Protect your Teens on Facebook!

Facebook has become the new battleground for parents and teens –a place where teens are trying to gain more independence and parents are trying to keep them safe.  When it comes to ‘Friending’ your parents, not all teens are ready to click the “accept” button and feel having their parents become part of their online community is similar to having their parents read their diary.

Some parents are opting to not step foot onto this virtual battleground and are choosing to not even attempt to become Facebook ‘Friends’ with their children.  As a security expert, this is a move I do not endorse—in fact, I sit firmly in the camp that becoming your child’s Facebook ‘Friend’ is one of the key ways to keep them safe during their teen years.

Why?  Here are 3 reasons why it is important for parents to become Facebook ‘Friends’ with their teens:

It allows you to monitor your child’s online activity and conversations in a very real and honest way.  They know you are there, they invited you in—it is not as if you are sneaking into their room and looking through their drawers.

It helps deter the posting of inappropriate messages and photos.  Before a teen posts a message or photo they will be thinking ‘is this something I would want my mom or dad to see?’  If the answer is no, they won’t post it—keeping them from making what could be a very big mistake.  In addition, if you do see inappropriate messages or photos being posted, this is a great way to begin those somewhat hard conversations with your children.

You get valuable insight into what is happening in their offline world.  Not that you need (or want) to know how many times Susie broke up with Billy, but just seeing what your child is posting and/or is having posted to their page, gives you a glimpse into what is happening IRT (In Real Time).  This may explain changes in behavior and help encourage offline discussions.

Let's Protect our Teens

www.proectyourteens.com

www.securityfirstassociates.com

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FaceBook Help!

Hi Ladies,

 

I need your help!  I have launch a new website called Protect your Teens.

http://www.protectyourteens.com.

 

We just launched our business facebook page and need your help to get on the social media map.  Please visit our facebook page and click like; http://www.facebook.com/protectyourteens

 

You can sign up for news, tips, and articles on my Welcome Page, I am also running a contest for a Kindle Fire. Like my page and you can enter. I have my whole website on my blog app. Have a look.

I would love to know what you think of my new pages and my new website.

Let’s protect our Teen’s, while they are texting and using social media site.

 

Thanks in advance

Diane Griffin

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Ok Ladies,

 

 I need your advice I'm going to breakdown and buy baby girl an iphone. I can't use the iphone (I type with my nails and that doesn't work on the iphone so I'm consigned to a Blackberry. Here's my dliemma. I  rarely text (Not my generation). I wil be texting more with the new service to update blog/twitter/facebook, etc.   Is 1000 texts for the both of us to many? too few? I am switching from my current provider? Baby girl is 13 this year (She's a millienium so her's is definately the text generation). I a on set income so I really don't like surprises.

 

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Michelle

http://wirequeen.blogspot.com

http://facebook.com/michelles.hawkins

http//twitter.com/wirequeen

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