Teens and Sexting

New data on teens, cell phones, and sexting was released today and has information on teens attitudes when it comes to sexting. An important read for parents and those that have some type of involvement in a teens life. The numbers are good to know but this report includes comments from kids as to their views on sexting, why they do it and their beliefs on how their activities affect their lives. As a parent or guardian of a teen you need to be a part of their online world, which now includes cell phones and sexting. Be proactive, have the talks with your kids and ask the What If questions. Talking with them is the best way to start. You can find more information by clicking on the Teens and Sexting link above or checking out www.internetsafetyconsulting.net

Facebook Privacy Settings

Facebook is requiring everyone to go through their privacy settings when you log on, starting today. Its a great time to make sure you know what you are sharing with whom. Don't just click on the recommended settings, they may actually share more information than you are now. Take a few minutes to go through and think about what they are asking and who will see it. You should not share personal information with everyone. It can lead to problems with people you don't know contacting you and open you to up to identity theft. Be proactive in protecting yourself online.

Sexting is more common than you would think

An article quoting an AP/MTV study on sexting (the act of sending sexually explicit messages and pictures via your cell phone or PDA) reports that kids are more involved in sexting than anyone thought they were. Even facing the possibility of felony level charges for manufacturing, distributing, and possessing child pornography, teens continue to send explicit images of themselves to others. They don't see it as a problem.

Well, it is a problem, and we need to get the message to our teens about the ramifications sending these types of images can cause. Teens need to understand that once you hit send you have lost control of the image or message you have sent. It falls under the control of the person who received it. If they send it to someone else, even more control is lost and so on... The reality is, once it is sent, the sender has lost total control and it could end up anywhere.

So, the message should be clear, unless anyone would send the image or text to their parents, teachers, minister, or boss, they shouldn't send it. Ignore this rule, or you think you can trust someone, it will come back to haunt you at some point in your life. Online storage of data seems unlimited and years from now you could be confronted about images or messages done long ago and asked questions about your judgment and if you are the best person for a position.

Think before you post anything.

More information can be found at www.internetsafetyconsulting.net