{"id":9565,"date":"2015-03-25T15:53:00","date_gmt":"2015-03-25T20:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites-stage.familylife.com\/flministries\/?p=9565"},"modified":"2015-03-25T15:53:00","modified_gmt":"2015-03-25T20:53:00","slug":"helping-your-kids-use-technology-wisely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/articles\/topics\/life-issues\/challenges\/media-and-entertainment\/helping-your-kids-use-technology-wisely\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping Your Kids Use Technology Wisely"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cCheck out my six pack,\u201d my daughter said with a grin. I looked over at her slouched on the couch as she held up her thumbs. She went on, \u201cI\u2019ve been texting so much, I\u2019ve developed three bulging muscles in each thumb.\u201d I rolled my eyes, making light of her comment, but on the inside I also realized she had turned a corner with technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a teenager, she\u2019s reached the age where from here on she will always be one step ahead of me with technology. She will know what the newest apps are and how to use them before I do. She will know the newest internet lingo before I will. And she\u2019ll adopt new social media tools before I\u2019ve even heard of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not alone. I\u2019m guessing, regardless of how tech savvy you are as a parent, your teenager will always know more. It\u2019s quite sobering, is it not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expressing themselves in 140 characters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The pace of life in our culture leaves precious little time for real-world interaction. This generation of teenagers has largely exchanged face-to-face time with friends for screen time with acquaintances. They desire community, close friendships, and environments where they can “just be me,” but they attempt to find these things in social media apps such as YouTube, Snapchat, Tumblr, and Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media programs are built around the idea of connecting with others and self-expression. Because of this, young users can tend to go overboard in friending everyone who comes along, and they can have poor self-control in knowing what can be posted. This is particularly true when it comes to issues of a sexual nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we were young teenagers, if we wanted to flirt with someone, we would put a note in their locker or have a friend pass on a message. Today\u2019s teens send sexually graphic text messages called sexts. Far from a fringe behavior, a recent survey revealed that 39% of all teens say they have sent\/posted a sexually suggestive message. Over 20% have sent\/posted nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves and more than half of girls said they felt pressure by a boyfriend to send a \u201cspecial\u201d picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital reputations last a lifetime<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Teenagers have grown accustomed to sharing all of their life online. Regardless if the information they post is silly or sensitive, sappy or self-centered, all of it is part of a digital reputation they are creating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social networking has given colleges and prospective employers a bird\u2019s-eye view into the life of every teenager. It may not be fair, but every person your teen has \u201cfriended,\u201d organization or group they have \u201cliked,\u201d and photo they have posted, is a permanent record of their digital life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 70% of colleges now look at the Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts of applicants to judge the quality of the student. When grading job applicants, 40% of Fortune 500 companies now scour social media sites to see who a person really is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is hard for your teen to think four to eight years down the road to how his present online actions can affect his future. He doesn\u2019t have the life experience yet to fully grasp the public forum the internet and social media create. Part of your job as a parent is to be a buffer for him\u2014to help him see his online self from an outsider\u2019s perspective. Have him ask the following questions before posting anything online:<\/p>\n\n\n\n