If you are the parent of a teenager (or even a preteen and tween) you are all too familiar with his/her endless cell phone usage. While text messaging has become the way for teens to communicate, it also has the potential to get them into lots of trouble. As a parent it is important to be educated on the risks associated with cell phone usage and how to keep your teen safe. If you are like many parents today, your teens know more about technology than you. The goal of this blog is to provide you with information about the most common risks associated with cell phones and ways to help monitor and hopefully prevent harm from happening to your teen.
Potential Risks associated with cell phone usage for teens:
• Texting while driving– Texting while driving is now the leading cause of death among teenagers – surpassing drinking and driving, according to a study by Cohen Children’s Medical Center. Many states have already adopted laws prohibiting texting while driving.
There is an app called “textecution” which disables texting if the phone is moving more than 10 miles an hour. www.textecution.com
• Sexting- This refers to sending text messages with sexually explicit content or a sexually explicit picture, including naked pictures or pictures of people kissing or engaging in other sexual acts.
The consequences associated with sexting can be very damaging. A picture or message meant for one person can easily be forwarded to an entire contact list at any time. A photo or message could also resurface years later, possibly causing great embarrassment or even problems with work or school. There is also the risk that he/she can get suspended or expelled from school and even be prosecuted under child pornography laws.
• Cyberbullying- This refers to sending harassing texts, emails or instant messages, as well as posting intimidating or threatening content on websites or blogs.Most of the time cyberbullying is done anonymously which can make it difficult for schools to intervene. The consequence of this is that the victim may feel unsafe which can lead to school absences or other problems. It might even be a contributing factor to teen suicide.
On the flip side, make sure your teen understands that it isn’t acceptable to spread rumors or bully someone through texting. Remind your teen that any text message he or she sends can be forwarded to anyone else, so it’s important to use good judgment with every message.
Tips from cyber bullying experts:
• Monitor your child’s online photo
• Have an open conversation. One of the most important things parents can do about cyberbullying is to simply talk about it. “Parents should ask ‘what happened online today’ right after they ask ‘how was school today,’” advised Robin Raskin, editor of the site “Raising Digital Kids”.
• Know who your kids are talking to. “Don’t assume — there is no profile for a cyberbully or a victim.”
The Internet is forever. Raskin notes that parents should remember the Internets long memory and should remind kids constantly of the permanence of the web. When they get older, schools and future employers can easily search their name to see what comes up. “It’s not a great place to play a prank on someone — since it never goes away and spreads like wildfire.”Above all else having Face to Face communicationand with your child or teen about issues like texting while driving, cyberbullying, and sexting, and the consequences of such actions, is the key to helping them make the smartest digital decisions.
Additional Resources:
Website: yoursphere for parents: Helping Families live Healthy Digital Lives
This website has a wealth of information for parents on how to keep their kids safe in the digital world.
http://internet-safety.yoursphere.com
An Easy Way to Introduce and Teach Your Children Responsible Texting
Website with lists of Best Apps to Protect to Prevent Cyber Bullying
Find My Kids for the iPhone and GPS Tracker Pro for Google Play are free apps that keep track of your kids through their phones. You can even set up alerts that let you know the second they leave the neighborhood.
Website: www.teensafe.com
You can also check with your cell phone provider to find out if they have features to help monitor your child’s cell phone.
Verizon Family Base
Verizon FamilyBase is a service that you can use to monitor the activity of each device on your account, set usage limits for each device and help your children understand how to use their devices responsibly and safely. The insights this service provides are especially helpful for parents and anyone who has multiple family members on the same account. You can also use it to help avoid unexpected overage charges. Cost $5.00 a month.
Written by: Denise Booth who is a Virginia Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over 10 years experience working with children and families. She specializes in providing therapy to adolescents dealing with behavioral issues at home and school, as well as anxiety, depression, self-esteem, substance abuse trauma and PTSD,. In her work with parents, she strives to enhance parent-child relationships and strengthen parenting skills to cope with adolescents..
