Parents Unaware of Teens’ Social Media Use

Now, I’ll admit, I’m of an age where a headline like this still makes me go “yeah, duh.” We had just gotten AOL when I was a teenager and my parents were pretty aware of the fact that I was online and I told them what I was doing (I was one of those kind of kids). Yet, I could see where it would be pretty easy to be oblivious to what another human being was doing online.

Of course, I had to laugh at the list of things you, as a parent, might not know. Like pretending to be an adult online to talk to strangers? Actually, that’s one of the safest things to do. Unless of course, the teenager is a complete idiot who talks in l33t speak and how they have to go to school tomorrow while pretending to be said adult. And anyone who believes you can only check Facebook once a day doesn’t comprehend social media.

Yes, as a parent, you have a lot of learning to do and the learning curve can be steep. But if my 82 year old Grandpa can learn to text on his cellphone, you can learn the ins and outs of the internet. If you haven’t been using social media (or know a parent who hasn’t) dive right in. Sign up for Facebook or Twitter (and learn what not to do by reading the educational blog, “Oh Crap. My Parents Joined Facebook!“. I’m a huge advocate for parents watching TV with their kids (and really absorbing what’s going on) from age 0 on. The same goes for what they do online.

Make sure to understand social media sites before you start making rules about how to deal with them. Remember, you know your kid better than the guy on the 10 o’clock news or the woman writing articles for “Women’s Day”.

Not only should be participating in the influences in their lives, but you should be commenting and teaching on how to make great decisions. When they get into their teen years, the discernment you’ve been teaching them should pay off and your worries over what they do online decrease.

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