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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

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

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

Teen Girls Need L.O.V.E.

S. Dodson

Rating: 5

This self help book provides insightful nuggets of information that teen girls from every age, race and background will be able to relate to. The book is written in a very relatable manner and covers everything from peer pressure, to bullying, to teenage pregnancy, to self love.

In a day and age where negative influences are in abundance, a book like this one is absolutely necessary. There are pressures that mount up on teens that if not handled could cause a daunting demise. A few years ago I was told about a young girl who had committed suicide because of things she was going through. She felt like she had no one to talk to an eventually took her life for that very reason. I wrote a book inspired behind that incident called “Sweet Dreams” and in reading this book it took me back to the emotions I felt during the time that I was writing that book. I really wished that that young woman had a chance to read this book. Had she done so then perhaps she would still be among the living and used her strength to tell her own story to other teens as to how she was able to overcome.

This is a book that I believe every parent of a young lady should own. Sometimes they just need to know that someone else has been there and done that in order for them to feel strong enough to talk about the pressures that they have to endure. Often adults think that children don’t have anything to worry about because they don’t have bills, they don’t have to worry about jobs, money, etc. Little do we know that there is so much more to being a teen now a days. In this book the teens learn how to empower, inspire and motivate themselves to get on the right path. There were some minor editing concerns, however all in all this is definitely a recommended read. For teens to it will allow them to find ways to over achieve. For parents, it will allow them to find ways to relate. There is nothing better than building a bridge to close the gap!

Reviewed by:

Nikkea Smithers

RWA Bookclub President

rwabookclub@yahoo.com

www.rwabookclub.com

In these very tough economic times, emotions and mindsets are stressed out and challenged to the MAX! This is especially true for teens, pre-teens, and single parents. In this day and age of reality TV...wouldn't you like to finally see a show or program that is not only entertaining, but actually (and I mean REALLY) help families going through tough emotional and mental trials? AND ... see these same folks have their DREAMS COME TRUE in the process?

Of course you do!

That is where The C.H.A.M.P. Experiment comes in to your life.

The C.H.A.M.P. Experiment is a new documentary / reality show based on the book and workbook program, The C.H.A.M.P. Within, by author and advocate, Traci S. Campbell. Teens and their families will be featured that need help in some area of their lives: mentally, emotionally, financially, you name it! And you will see them put the practical and spiritual practices outlined in The C.H.A.M.P. Within program to work in their lives. For those who stick to it and make a real effort for change ... you will see Traci S. Campbell and her team do whatever it takes to make the dreams for these deserving families come true.

How COOL is that?

You can check out our introduction video at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtofU4aZb_c

Add your city to the map by letting us know what issues are challenging your community:

http://blog.traciscampbell.com/c-h-a-m-p-experiment

Show your support for C.H.A.M.P. by joining us at The C.H.A.M.P. Within on Facebook

* For more information about the show, The C.H.A.M.P. Within program, and the creator/author, Traci S. Campbell call us at 1-888-519-2299 or complete the form at www.traciscampbell.com

Celebrities Kids | Celebrity Obsession: Are our teens too star-struck?

Following the lives of teen celebrities such as Taylor Lautner or Miley Cyrus are part of the normal past time for the average teenager today. While on the surface this may sound like the sort of thing we'd expect a young person to be doing with their time, this behavior can also lead to some major psychological issues that have far-reaching effects. In a recent study of adolescents between 11 and 16 years of age, two major categories were identified that pertain to how teens relate to celebrities.

The first category, called "entertainment social celebrity worship", consisted of teens that viewed celebrities as sources of entertainment and talked frequently about celebrity news. This was considered completely normal for the everyday teenager. These teenagers displayed healthy emotional independence. However, the second category called "intense personal celebrity worship" showed teenagers who were seeking a personal connection to the celebrity and often developed an unhealthy obsession. These teens, while trying to go through the normal maturity cycle, seemed to suffer from lower self-esteem and confidence than their peers. Their relationships with family and friends were extremely poor.

So this begs the question, "How can we prevent our teens from becoming too often with the lives of celebrities?" Well, there are a few things that can help. First, teens should be actively involved or engaged in school activities. Teens who have responsibilities such as an after school job or specific household responsibilities have less idle time on their hands. Also, teens should be encouraged to volunteer their time to serve in the community to develop an awareness of others who are less fortunate. Lastly, teens who are encouraged to have a spiritual foundation often have a healthier self-confidence and thus feel less inclined to seek out celebrities to idolize.

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Author: Traci S Campbell
Website: www.traciscampbell.com