Dangers of Sexting

In a recent post article posted in the Teen Angst section on Psychology Today online, Raychelle Cassada Lohmann, MS, LPC, discussed the dangers of sexting.  As you may know, "sexting" is texting sexually explicit photos to someone else.  Once those photos are sent, there is little you can do to get them back.  As this article explains, often teenagers send these texts impulsively in the need of "instant communication and gratification."  However, most teens do not think about the ramifications of sending these type of texts.   The article points out that, according to "researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch, more than 'half of teens have been asked to send a nude photo of themselves to someone, and 31% had requested a naked picture to be sent to them.'"  It is imperative for parents to educate their teenagers about the dangers and ramifications of sexting. 

The article goes on to discuss ways to protect teens from sexting, including educating teens about the legal ramifications of sexting.  At Spring Ridge Academy, we teach our students the dangers regarding the internet including sexting.  We encourage all parents to discuss this important issue with their teens.  For more information, go to the article No Safe Sext in Psychology Today.  

Teens Hiding Online Activity

According to a recent CNN article teens are hiding their online activity from their parents.  The security software maker, McAfree, completed a 2017 person study and found 70% of teens "hide their online behavior" from parents.  

The article stated that the study found that teens, not surprising, were mostly hiding violent online content at 43% and pornographic content at 32%.  However, some of the other things teens were hiding were surprising.  The study reported that "fifteen percent of teens have hacked into social networks; 9% have hacked into e-mail accounts; 12% have met face to face with a person he or she met on the Internet; and 16% of teens surveyed said they had used their phones to cheat on tests at school."

Teens have been hiding their activities from their parents for many generations, however, today the dangers and stakes are much higher.  Several companies now offer online controls and spy software for parents.  If you choose to use spy software, it is important to be up front with your child that you are monitoring their online activities.  To read this article, including the top ten ways "teens are fooling their parents" go to the CNN article,  70% of Teens Hide Online Behavior From Parents.  

Teens: Drinking and Driving

It is a new year and a good time to revisit our contracts with our teenagers.  In a December 27, 2012 article in the New York Times, Drinking, Driving, Teenagers and New Year's Eve, Dave Melton, director of global safety for Liberty International, stated that this is a good "time for parents to revisit the contract they may have had in place with their teenager regarding drinking, drugs and driving."  For a copy of the contract go to the CDC web site. 
 
Mr. Melton went on to reiterate the importance of teen agers knowing that their parents will pick them up if they have been drinking or the friend driving has been drinking.  He stated, "Recognize that some teenagers will be drinking...Renew your promise to pick up a child anytime, anywhere, no questions asked."   Sadly, relaxed parenting regarding underage drinking seems to contributing to the problem.  

According to the New York Times article, in a study commissioned by Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions of 11th and 12 th grade students, "they found that nearly half of teenagers said they were allowed by their parents to go to parties where alcohol was being served at least rarely, and more than a third said they were allowed to drink when their parents were with them. Slightly less than a third reported being allowed to drink unsupervised."   Let's keep our teenagers safe, and renew your safe driving contract with your teens.

Winter Break and College Prep

Many parents of high school students are wondering what they will do over winter break.  Winter break is a great time for students to spend time with friends and family, but this time could also be used to prepare for college.  An article in TulsaWorld.comTulsaWorld.com stated,  "Whether searching for grants and scholarships, perfecting college application essays, or volunteering, students who put in the extra time and effort improve their chances of nabbing their top choice school."  In addition, the article explains that almost every student qualifies for financial aid so taking time to look for assistance is worth your while.  The article lists several helpful resources for the college application and financial aid process.  To read more, go to:  Winter Break Gives Students Time to Prepare for College.

Internet and Your Child's Future

Can the Internet hurt your child's future?  The Pew Internet Center recently asked this question to parents of teens.  Not surprisingly, most parents said they were concerned.  This issue recently came up because legislators in Europe are considering a policy called "the right to be forgotten" which means that Internet users would be entitled to delete their digital past - giving them a clean slate in the future.  There is nothing like this being proposed in the United States.  

The article in the New York Times, Parents of Teenagers Say They Worry That Online Activities Might Hurt Children in the Future, stated that "the study suggests that parents are concerned about future harm"  and because of this parents are trying to manage their children's social media activities.  About a third of parents in the study said they helped their children with privacy settings.  However, in a survey done with children 12-17 years old, children had very different opinions about giving their parents access to their Facebook page.  Some teens said they blocked their parents from seeing their page and others said they only let their parents see profiles but not status updates.

This is all very concerning and parents need to guide their teens with the complicated social media world.  As many parents agreed, the Internet can hurt their child's future as once something is put on the Internet it is hard to take it away.  We, at Spring Ridge Academy, encourage parents to set boundaries and structures around the Internet to help protect their children's safety now and in the future.  

To read more about this study, go to http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/20/parents-of-teenagers-say-they-worry-that-online-activities-might-hurt-children-in-the-future/