Sometimes it is really hard to get teenagers to understand the seriousness of some issues…for instance, texting while driving or the dreaded problem of sexting.
I read recently of a 16-year-old girl who was dating a man over the age of 18. She sent him nude pictures of herself and when she finally decided to call it quits, he blackmailed her with those pictures.
Thankfully she did the right thing and went to her parents who called the police and now the man is facing criminal charges. However we can’t be so quick to dismiss the original problem…she sent nude pictures of herself.
Many teens don’t really understand the dangers in doing this sort of thing. But let’s face it; relationships in general have really become pretty impersonal. More and more teens spend most of their time getting to know others through texting, email, online chat rooms and instant messaging.
What makes this issue even scarier is that parents are losing control more and more. At one time you could put parental controls on many of their devices but now teens can access the online world through their video game systems and iPods. The sophistication of technology has opened the doors to all kinds of dangers.
So while teens are sharing pictures, making comments that they wouldn’t want others to see…they are failing to recognize the dangers of “communicating” through technology.
I recently heard that Michelle Obama will not allow her girls to have a Facebook account. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that decision. I personally do allow my teens to have one and it is closely monitored. We each have to make the decision that we feel is right but when we do allow our teens to be engaged in technology, then we need to be fully aware of the dangers and talk to our teens about them.
Teens aren’t always aware that not only can they be held criminally liable for possessing a sexually explicit picture of another minor but they can be prosecuted for sending pictures of themselves.
Keep the communication lines open and never assume that your teen really understands the consequences of a poor decision such as sexting. They need to be reminded.
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Facebook: Invasion of Privacy?