You had to have seen this one coming: kids are picking up bad habits from their extensive use of social media giant Facebook. This can’t come as too big of a surprise though, because it stands to reason that something so popular and fun would be bound to have some ill effects. Not that we’re condemning Facebook, mind you, but there are a few potential pitfalls to watch out for regarding your child’s usage.

The following are seven bad habits that kids pick up from Facebook:

1. TMI – To be honest, many of us are already guilty of grossly over-sharing our personal lives on Facebook. When you have a place to update your status 24/7, though, it shouldn’t come as any real surprise that eventually one’s entire personal life is right there for anyone and everyone to read on their profile.
2. Inappropriate Friending – It tends to be an automatic reaction for some to “friend” someone after they’ve added you, accompanied by the friend confirmation request, whether this person is someone you know well or not. While they may not like the idea of saying ‘no’, safety should have a higher priority than popularity.
3. Posting Inappropriate Photos – Inappropriate photographs always seem to find their way onto people’s Facebook pages. For that matter, taking such photos in the first place is ill-advised, to say the least. Coupled with the prospect of being friended by stalkers and strangers, not to mention being available for any potential employers or school officials, this makes for a very dangerous mix.
4. Poor Time Management – It’s very easy to lose track of one’s time while socializing on Facebook, and hours at a time can be lost without even realizing it, often at the expense of more important things like homework, chores, etc. It may be wise to install a filter software that can monitor use and block certain sites during specified time periods to ensure that your kids don’t spend too much time on the website.
5. Indiscriminate Downloading – Facebook is notorious for third party apps that seek to gain access to personal data and the friend lists of members who use them. There’s a large risk associated with accepting gifts via some of these app, unfortunately, that could end up compromising your personal information.
6. Poor Grammar – As with chat rooms, IM’s, and text messaging, all of which came prior to social media, Facebook posts can tend toward cyber shorthand, whether it’s in the interest of brevity or simply born out of sheer laziness. Although it’s acceptable – even necessary in some cases – to limit character usage, it’s very easy for this habit to leak over to your child’s more formal writing and correspondence.
7. Not Safeguarding Personal Info – Facebook provides varying levels of privacy settings for its users. Members can share everything with anyone, or limit access to their profile to just friends and/or family. Kids today have become ok and even lax with the safeguarding of their personal information, and identity theft, stalking or harassment can end up being one of the penalties for your child being too open with his or her personal information.

Source:  Become a Nanny

7 Bad Habits Kids Pick up from Twitter

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Don't Tweet Your Vacation Plans!

Whether it is college students planning their spring break or families taking their winter breaks.  Some take their ski vacations and others will enjoy a week at Disney.  With today’s economy, some may be visiting family that are out of state (which may be more fun and definitely can be more rewarding – sometimes).  Whatever your vacation plans are one rule of thumb is for all of them, don’t share it with your social network!!!!  Sure, many of us know that – we have all heard the horror stories on the news, but how many of us say – “that would never happen to us?”

Don’t have your head in the sand – it can happen to you.  Adults probably understand this  – however do your teenagers and especially your kids that are on social networking sites?  Especially Twitter which is in real time – and goes out in a speed of lightening – and worse than that, is very hard to take back!

Vacation is a precious time to the average person. If you want your vacation to be a relaxing time, you may want to stay away from Twitter.

Here are some reasons not to share your vacation experience with your Twitter followers.

1. You don’t want strangers finding you. It’s easy to forget that those harmless Twitter updates can include GPS data, pinpointing where you are at at the moment you post an update to Twitter. That GPS location is available for everyone you know, and everyone else to see exactly where you are. With your exact location available, you are now a vulnerable target in a foreign location to any con artist or petty thief.
2. You don’t want “friends” meeting up with you. You’ve made some friends on twitter but having never met them in person you may not want them to all of a sudden show up on your one time to relax. Keep it private, so you can protect you personal time.
3. Making your friends jealous. Making your friends jealous won’t make your vacation better. You get to go to Hawaii for 7 days in January? Enjoy yourself but don’t make everyone else envious. Just come back to the office with a nice tan and that will get the conversation flowing.
4. Your empty home becomes a target. When you post a Twitter update, your exact GPS location can be included with it. This allows people to know exactly where you are at the moment of your tweeting. It is not a difficult stretch to find from past tweets, where you call home, and if you are tweeting while on vacation, you are informing criminal minds that your home is abandoned and available to be burglarized.
5. You’re missing the sights. If you are tweeting about how cool Mount Rushmore is you are going to miss out on how cool it really is! Save the updates for when your back home reviewing all the pictures you took.
6. Tweet distraction is not good for the family. Most vacations are about getting the much needed time with family. Don’t waste yours or your family’s time by keeping up with the social times. Give your family the quality time and conversation you have all been missing out on.
7. Vacation is about getting away. This is your chance to take a break from all your tweeps. Don’t worry, they will still be there when you get back. They will survive without you. You’ll come back much more refreshed and full of ‘tweetness’.
8. Being unplugged. These days a lot of people’s jobs and lives revolve around technology. Vacation is the time to unplug and slow down. Relax. Enjoy the thought of not having to think of something witty to say.
9. Motives. Why do you want to tweet about your vacation, anyway? Is it going to benefit your 500 followers? Are you just trying to make yourself the envy of all tweeps? Or has tweeting just become a habit? Vacation time can give you a time to reflect on why you do what you do.
10. Roaming. If you are tweeting from your phone on vacation, you may be in a roaming area. Phone use in a roaming area often comes with surcharges, which can make sending a simple text message very expensive. Do yourself a favor and save the extra change to pay for the next vacation.

Going on a vacation is a great time to relax and spend quality time with your family. Take advantage of this coveted time and keep it a secret from your tweeps. Have a relaxing, unplugged vacation!

Source: Internet Providers.net

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Special guest post by privacy expert, Rebecca Herold.

Rebecca Herold, a Des Moines-based privacy expert, better known as The Privacy Professor explains with the rapid growth of technology, people should be more cautious about what they share.

“Too many folks adopt new technology without fully understanding how it may be capturing or distributing their personal, private information,” she said in a press release. “Whether it’s a smartphone tracking their location or social media sites repurposing their personal photos, often people are simply unaware of what’s being collected and how or with whom it’s being shared. People should continue to be concerned with ‘old-fashioned’ threats like phone scams and crooks digging through trash to find personal information on discarded paper documents and digital storage devices.”

Here are some of Rebecca Herold’s smart tips to help keep your information safe and private:

• Read the privacy policy of websites you visit the most. Search for the word “share” and see if the website is open about how it distributes your personal information to others.
• Double check privacy settings on social media sites such as Facebook. Read about its new changes and ensure it only shares what you want it to. Read about past Facebook privacy issues here.
• Review people connected to you. Ensure you only provide access to your personal profile to people you trust and know well.
• Don’t post anything online that you wouldn’t want the whole world to see. Information may be private between you and your friends but friends can repost statuses and other information with/without your consent.
• Secure your personal wireless connections.
• Invest in a shredder to shred financial or other documents before tossing them.

You can follow Rebecca Herold on Twitter and visit her website.

Most  important, talk to your teens about what they are sharing online.  The fact that most college admissions and employees are using the Internet to screen their potential applicants can determine your child’s future.  Teen’s need to understand what goes online today, WILL be there tomorrow.  It may be funny today, and not so funny two years from now.

When parents say that they are going to remove their teen’s computer, take away their cell phone – or have their teen delete their Facebook – it is almost comical.  Do they actually think a teen is not savvy enough to create a new page, borrow a friends phone or even go to an Internet cafe or library?  Parents, you always need to be a step ahead of your kids – you need to show your kids the dangers – the risks – the pitfalls – so they don’t get tangled in the web!  Here is a good start…..

Order today!

Cybertraps for the Young

by Frederick S. Lane

 ‘SEXT EDUCATION’ AND ‘CYBERETHICS’:

 WHAT EVERY PARENT MUST KNOW ABOUT 

THE TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES OF CHILDREN

—Leading expert on emerging technology breaks down the implications of technology misuse amongst teens and provides tips on how to monitor online activity in new book

Just how ‘connected’ are today’s youth?

• The average child possesses their first cell phone before age 10
• In October 2010, 43% of teen cell phone users reported that their primary reason for having a phone was to text message friends
• Roughly 50% of teens in the U.S. use Facebook
• 81% of children between the ages of 12 and 17 own at least one gaming console
• 23% of children under 5 regularly use the Internet

With fast downloads, mass file sharing, instant uploads, and lightning-fast Internet searches available at the click of a button, a host of new technologies—cell phones, gaming systems, laptops, tablets, and digital cameras—are helping teens commit irrevocable mistakes. As today’s youth continues to be a targeted consumer audience for emerging technology, it is increasingly critical for  parents and educators to identify, understand, and discuss the consequences of technology misuse with children.

In his new book, Cybertraps for the Young, attorney and computer forensics expert Frederick Lane describes the most prevalent cybertraps confronting children today. After outlining the legal consequences which can result from inappropriate online behavior, he provides parents with insightful strategies for discussing safe and ethical technology use with their children.

“Cyber responsibility starts at home and, now more than ever, it’s crucial parents have regular conversations with their kids about online safety,” Lane says. “Children should not get access to powerful communication tools until they understand the risks associated with them.”

Unlike other books on new technologies, Cybertraps for the Young focuses on the serious personal and legal consequences children may face as a result of their online behavior. From the most  common and easily triggered cybertraps, including those arising from new tools like the iPhone’s new live video chat capability, “Face Time,” to lesser-known risks like peer-to-peer file sharing, Lane offers a candid look at how schools, law enforcement agents, and state and federal prosecutors are taking increasingly tough stands against young offenders. Drawing on contemporary news stories, case studies, and personal courtroom experiences, Lane provides a startling investigation of the numerous cybertraps that continue to dominate today’s headlines: oversharing personal information, plagiarism and high-tech cheating, cyberbullying and cyber harassment, libel and slander, hacking, sexting and sextortion, and child pornography on Peer-to-Peer networks.

In addition to the analysis of the cybertraps for parents, Lane stresses the need to incorporate cybersafety and cyberethics lessons into the American education system.  Backed by his decade on the Burlington School Board in Vermont, Lane provides tips to parents on how to approach their local school districts and advocate for cyberethics education at all grade levels.

“We emphasize the practice of safe sex in sex education; we teach gun safety as a prerequisite for a hunting license; and we teach auto safety in driver’s education,” notes Lane. “As technology continues to advance, cyberethics should be a staple in the school curricula.”

In this first book of its kind, Lane delves into:

• The capabilities of emerging technology, including camera cell phones, gaming systems, tablets, live video chat, and digital cameras, among others
• How and when to start educating children about cyberethics and potential cybertraps
• How to monitor children’s online activity—both by physically tracking their conduct and by using monitoring tools and software
• The legal and personal consequences of specific cybertraps, including sexting, cyber-bullying, and hacking
• What parents can do to notify their school districts and state legislatures about the need for cyber education

 About the author:

 Frederick Lane is an author, attorney, expert witness, and professional speaker on the legal and cultural implications of emerging technology. A 1988 graduate of Boston College Law School, Lane practiced law for five years before launching his own computer consulting business, a career move which ultimately led him to his current work as a writer, lecturer, and computer forensics expert. Over the past 12 years, Lane has worked on a wide variety of criminal cases, including copyright infringement, stalking, embezzlement, theft of intellectual property, obscenity, and child pornography.

In addition to his professional background, Lane has served on the Burlington School Board in Vermont since October 2001 and served as chairman of the Board for the past two years. He is the author of 5 highly acclaimed books, a number of which deal with technology boundaries. Lane is also the father of two teenage boys.

For more information about Frederick Lane and Cybertraps for the Young, please visit www.cybertrapsfortheyoung.com or www.FrederickLane.com. Cybertraps for the Young will be available on ntiupstream.com or on Amazon.

Sexting has become a recent trend with mobile users, as nearly 40% of teens reporting sexting at least once or consistently. Sexting is when one person sends a nude, or sexually suggestive picture/text of themselves to another person or a group. The consequences of sexting range from nothing, to serious. For parents, the worries are real and dangerous.

Child Pornography

The primary concern for parents is sexting that involves suggestive photos, especially nudes. Several teens have been charged with ownership of child pornography. That’s because even if two students under age 18 are dating, possession of nude photos of individuals under the age of 18 constitutes child pornography. In some cases, teens who have snapped pictures of themselves have been charged with “manufacturing, disseminating or possessing child pornography.” Those receiving the pictures have faced, and been sentenced, to charges of possession. Convictions lead to life-long registration on sexual offender lists.

Digital World

Once the pictures have been taken, parents have more issues to worry about, namely digital records. After pictures have been taken digitally, they immediately enter a digital world where they can become permanent. One person can send the picture to another and so on until it’s been shared across the digital world. It can all start with one phone. With chat rooms and other websites, it’s easy for pedophiles and other predators to misrepresent age, sex, and location. Teens and kids are constantly connected to the web. Not only can those pictures make their way to illegal websites, they can also make their way to strangers.

Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and other social media sites are like online directories for everyone and anyone. It can be easy anyone to assume a false identity. With a couple clicks on the phone, a picture gets into the hands of the wrong person.

Psychological Factors

There are many reasons why teens take part in sexting and most of them are a new take on the old world of flirting and courting. Many teens send the texts as flirtatious messages, to boost popularity, or because of peer pressure. They can also include forms of sexual harassment, or bullying.

The ramifications for of this are undocumented in terms of sexting, but the potential psychological issues of self-esteem are wide and concerning. Adolescents and teens are entering a stage of life where body-image and self-esteem are developing. Bullying, harassment, and derogatory comments can degrade and damage morale. The effects of this can last for years or decades.

By sexting, teens put their bodies out there to be judged and critiqued. While their bodies may be healthy, teens use any chances to tease or insult another, especially if it means a chance to elevate themselves in a social clique, or in popularity. The self-esteem issues created by pictures, or suggestive language, being misconstrued, getting into unwanted hands or from unwarranted comments, can devastate teens and lead to suicide.

Cautionary Steps

Beyond eliminating and forbidding the use of all digital devices, there are other measures that parents can take to protect their teens.

The first is establishing a good relationship. Studies consistently show that parents who foster good relationships with their children have more influence on them than the media or peer pressure.

A strong relationship makes it easier for parents to approach kids about sexting and its consequences. Being honest with children about the potential legal consequences, psychological factors, and personal ethics and morals behind sexting is a good way to help them understand its seriousness.

To instill that seriousness, parents should monitor their child’s activities and friends. Much of sexting in teenagers is caused by peer pressure or social interactions. Supporting them in making the right decisions, and spending less time from those who are sexting, may be the best way to keep them safe.

Special contributor:  Steven Farrell is the administrator of ReversePhoneLookup.org, the best reverse phone directory online.

I know all this first hand since it almost happened to me.

If you don’t protect it who will?  Your BFF today could become your foe tomorrow.  Your spouse today could be your ex next week.  What will happen if they decide that e-Venge is easier than revenge?  Remember the Internet never forgets!

What is cyberstalking?  What is a Google bomb?  What is this crazy thing calling cyber defamation?

CYBER-HAWKS THAT STALK:  A new HEIGHT of cybercrimes, stalking, stolen identities, cyber-corruption and criminal predators with a keypad

Do you believe your online image, reputation and character are protected? Firewalls broken – hackers hacking – and you are now virtually invaded! Learn from my $11M defamation verdict that changed Internet Culture.

Google Bomb (n) or “link bomb”: Internet slang for a certain kind of attempt to raise the ranking of a given page in results from a Google search. (Wikipedia)

I was a regular person who found out in the most evil way what slander awaited her in cyberspace. My organization, reputation, and identity were stolen, livelihood ruined, her mental health threatened after viral defamatory statements emerged. I was hit with a Google bomb.

Like an epidemic, Google bombs are the latest lethal legal weapon to destroy character and reputations. Our First Lady was hit. No one is immune.  We must be proactive in maintaining our virtual profile.

Still standing and thriving after all she endured both personally and professionally, Scheff now helps others understand the depths of the Internet and what happens when revenge turns to e-venge.

IN THE NEWS: Over 400 newspapers have featured this landmark case. Including a 4-Part LA Times Series, Washington Post, Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, AARP, and many more.  Here are snippets of my advice on how to protect your image:

• Wall Street Journal “Until you go through a vengeful attack on your good name, service or business, you have no idea what a Google bomb can do to you.”
• AARP- “Limit the amount of information you provide on the Internet,” she now advises others. “The Internet is not only an educational tool, it can be a lethal weapon,”
• Washington Post –“if you don’t own your own name, someone else will.”
• Family Circle – “Use extreme caution…Whatever you say in the kitchen goes into your kid’s ears and can come out on the computer screen – and go viral!”
• LA Times – “We need very real repercussions for violating a reporter’s privacy in a motel room with a peep camera for mass voyeuristic consumption.”
• LA Times – “The malicious stroke of a key has become the equivalent of a cyberbullet.” 

What did they say?

Whether it is texting, instant messaging, or social networking – do you really know what your teenager is saying?  They seem to have their own language and codes for things parents may not approve of.

One of my favorite new sites is Enough is Enough! And how many times as parents do we say this?

Do you feel overwhelmed about protecting children from the dangers of the virtual world?

Who doesn’t?

When it comes to teens it can be more difficult and even more important to be a parent in the know.

Let’s start with 50 Acronyms Parents Should Know:

(Courtesy of Enough is Enough and NetLingo)

1. 8 - Oral sex
2. 1337 - Elite -or- leet -or- L337
3. 143 - I love you
4. 182 - I hate you
5. 1174 - Nude club
6. 420 - Marijuana
7. 459 - I love you
8. ADR - Address
9. AEAP - As Early As Possible
10. ALAP - As Late As Possible
11. ASL - Age/Sex/Location
12. CD9 - Code 9 – it means parents are around
13. C-P - Sleepy
14. F2F - Face-to-Face
15. GNOC - Get Naked On Cam
16. GYPO - Get Your Pants Off
17. HAK - Hugs And Kisses
18. ILU - I Love You
19. IWSN - I Want Sex Now
20. J/O - Jerking Off
21. KOTL - Kiss On The Lips
22. KFY -or- K4Y - Kiss For You
23. KPC - Keeping Parents Clueless
24. LMIRL - Let’s Meet In Real Life
25. MOOS - Member Of The Opposite Sex
26. MOSS - Member(s) Of The Same Sex
27. MorF - Male or Female
28. MOS - Mom Over Shoulder
29. MPFB - My Personal F*** Buddy
30. NALOPKT - Not A Lot Of People Know That
31. NIFOC - Nude In Front Of The computer
32. NMU - Not Much, You?
33. P911 - Parent Alert
34. PAL - Parents Are Listening
35. PAW - Parents Are Watching
36. PIR - Parent In Room
37. POS - Parent Over Shoulder -or- Piece Of Sh**
38. pron - porn
39. Q2C - Quick To Cum
40. RU/18 - Are You Over 18?
41. RUMORF - Are You Male OR Female?
42. RUH - Are You Horny?
43. S2R - Send To Receive
44. SorG - Straight or Gay
45. TDTM - Talk Dirty To Me
46. WTF - What The F***
47. WUF - Where You From
48. WYCM - Will You Call Me?
49. WYRN - What’s Your Real Name?
50. zerg - To gang up on someone

Be an educated parent – you will have safer teens!

Follow Enough is Enough on Twitter and Facebook.

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Although it’s important for everyone to protect themselves from identity theft, a special emphasis is being placed on child identity theft protection this October. It’s scary that studies have shown children are 51 times more likely to have their Social Security numbers stolen than adults, with the theft going unnoticed for years. As a parent, we must arm ourselves with the resources and information needed to keep our family’s identities safe.

Here are a few of the many ways to get involved with PYIW this year:

• NFCC Member Agencies and supporting Coalition Members will offer free identity theft education and protection events in communities across the country this month, including workshops, cell phone recycling, and paper shredding powered by Cintas, a leader in document destruction. AllClear ID, a recognized expert in identity theft protection, will provide materials on ID theft education in general as well as tips specific to child identity theft. To find an event near you, check out this event map!
• Easy to follow tips, resources and a self-assessment ID Quiz to determine your own personal risk of identity theft are all available for your reference on the Protect Your ID Now website.
• Be sure to also read and share the First Steps For Victims section so that you will be prepared in case you’re the next victim.
• Finally, get involved with PYIW on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the blog at www.ProtectYourIDNow.org where tips and PYIW articles will be provided all throughout October.

Please join the fight by encouraging your friends, family, and readers to visit www.ProtectYourIDNow.org to learn more and get involved. I would be more than happy to provide you with any further information you may need and look forward to hearing from you.

The Seminole County Health Department announced late summer that because of the nature of the social networking site, teens are “ultimately” contracting STDs. In a nutshell, the health experts blamed the fact that teen Facebook users are too willing to trust the people they meet on Facebook and begin to develop pseudo and shallow relationships (after all it is rather difficult to establish strong/legitimate bonds with a person you’ve never met or don’t interact with in person on a daily basis). This false sense of trust prompts teens to meet their new friends in person which often results in a casual sexual experience. If things don’t work out, teens are able to “get over” their partner and move on to the next, health experts say. This constant jump from casual sexual partner to the next is what results in a higher rate of STDs, according to the experts’ findings.

While the Floridian health experts do make some relevant points (not mention that the site does make it easy for teens to exchange sexually explicit private messages and post seductive and suggested photos) the site can’t be entirely blamed for increasing STDs. After all, practicing unsafe sex is what really causes STDS. Thus it’s important that parents take the initiative to educate their children and have that dreaded talk of the birds and the bees, no matter how hard it may be. It may also be a good idea to monitor your child’s Facebook activity. Some parents mandate for their children to “friend” them on Facebook so that they can keep track of their children’s postings and comments. But children are sneaky and can make sure that some information and images are blocked from their parents’ view. And then there some parents who just aren’t all that tech-savvy at all and don’t have a Facebook account.

That said, a better alternative is investing in some Facebook monitoring-software. There’s a few available on the market, but one of the newer ones that is easy to use is Zone Alarm Social Guard. It’s not terribly intrusive either, so it won’t really be like “spying”—you can’t actually read your child’s private messages or leave comments. How it works is that whenever your child uses a key word or is sent a private message or comment that uses an “alarming” word that may allude to cyber bullying, sex or suicide for example, an email is sent to you, the parent. It also warns you whenever your child “friends” a person that it much older than him or her. And it’s relatively cheap too, services are offered for only $20 a year.

By-line:

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.

Do you know where your teen goes online?

Kids and especially teens are notorious for keeping secrets from their parents, and in today’s world of technology they have a whole new world of ways to keep secrets.

Since kids are also incredibly adept at learning and using modern technology and the following list may help you keep better track of what your child may be hiding.

1. Surfing the Internet: Today, kids have almost unlimited access to computers, and now computers are small enough to carry, enabling access to the internet literally anywhere. This gives kids easy access to sites parents may disapprove of, not to mention “adult only” sites that only ask the user to click a link stating they are over 18 years of age. That’s an easy button to click if you want to keep secrets from parents. Close monitoring of your child’s computer history, password protection and parental blocks can keep your child away from inappropriate sites.
2. Downloads: Kids love to download- anything they can: pictures, jokes, videos, etc. These downloads may be putting your computer at risk for viruses that could cause permanent damage. Parents need to know the source of any download and that it is safe, as well as keeping up-to-date antivirus protection on all computers.
3. Music Downloads: What kind of music are your kids downloading and listening to? Even if the site is safe, the music might not be. Listen to the music downloads. If you are not able to understand the lyrics of the songs, you may want to check them out. You can find an internet music site that has song lyrics available to read. Be careful, though, if you do not allow your child to download certain titles, he/she will probably change the file name of the prohibited song to something allowable.
4. Uploads: Kids are not very discerning when it comes to what others should or should not know about themselves, and their families. Find out what sorts of pictures, text and other files your child might be sharing on social networking sites or shared folders.
5. Games: What games are your kids playing? Playstation, X-box, computer games, both individual and interactive-online are filled with violence and “adult” themes. Monitor the games your child buys or rents; most are labeled with age guidelines and parental notices. Also, monitor your child’s history with online games. Install a computer block that allows access to only approved sites.
6. Friends: Kids have many friends. Some of them, they don’t even know. Facebook and other online social networking sites make it easy for children to fall prey to predatory abusers disguised as “friends.” If your child has a Facebook or other social networking accounts, make sure that you know their username and password, and check in on their activity once in awhile.
7. Cell phone use: How much time your kids spend on the phone, when they are calling and who they are calling are important to know. Read the itemized portion of your bill each month to double check, and if there is a number you don’t recognize or don’t want your child accessing, have it blocked through your service carrier.
8. Texting: With unlimited texting capabilities on cell phone plans, your kids can text anyone at any time, day or night. Parents need to know who they are texting and the language they are both reading and using while they are texting.
9. Abbreviations: LOL, and CUL maybe be familiar “social” abbreviations, and ROLOFLMHO may be used by your kids without any qualms, but ROLOFLMAO might be offensive to some parents. Do you know the difference? Also, new abbreviations are added to the lexicon of technical communication on a daily basis. As a parent you need to be familiar with abbreviations so as to know what your kids are saying. You can check the internet for sites that list abbreviations and meanings.
10. Plagiarism and cheating: That kids are able to access information which expedites learning in ways never before thought of, is a wonderful outcome of technology today. That kids can also use this information to cheat in ways never before thought of, isn’t.