tech.tarts

As a retired MySpace junkie and current Facebook regular, I’m well aware of the vast vessels of social networking that are available to us and only continuing to grow. Nowadays everyone is participating. Yes, even my mom is on Facebook (I’ll save that tart topic for another time).

That being said, let me start by saying… I NEVER thought this day would come. Me, with a TEENAGER. I like to think of myself as a cautious forward thinking mother. One who’s often praised by her spawn for being cool and hip. My kids come to me for fashion advice as well as help with homework. And although my teenage son says at times I’m trying to control his life, my kids know they can trust and depend on me for anything.

Rewind to about 5 years ago. Picture my 9 year old son watching me on the computer in awe and amazement as I’m tricking out my MySpace page, finding new cool bands to rock out to, posting my latest pics, etc. He began begging and pleading for me to let him create his own virtual playground. My simple answer…NOPE! See right here sonny boy, MySpace says you have to be 14 to have a page. MUAHAHAHAHA (my evil laugh)! You can have one then. That was that. I was safe. Until now…

Back to the future. My son, now 13 ½ reminds me constantly that he’s ALMOST 14 and the first thing he’s doing, you got it…MySpace. Now, I’m open to giving my kids the freedom to express their individuality, to explore this fabulous world and all it has to offer. But those 5 short years ago I wasn’t really thinking about the future, and honestly didn’t think this moment would come so quickly. None the less here I am, faced with this monster.

MySpace-potentially more dangerous to my future Astronaut/Doctor/Pro NBA players formidable mind than those war game shoot-um-up video games that I despise so much. Land of pedophiles, 13yr old YouTube sex kittens, skankalicious future porn stars, uncensored music, and thousands of examples of the future douchbags/douchbagettes of America. I’m scared!

Knuckles to the ground, a promise is a promise. Preparing for his entrance to the grown-up world of social networking I’m arming myself, guns blazin, with as many tools as necessary to protect my child’s safety and well-being. Plus, I need to be able to sleep at night!

Research done, what I’ve found is this… the best way to supervise your child’s internet safety/usage is a very “low tech” concept, talk to them! When your teen is ready to jump into the virtual rabbit hole too, I hope this information will help.

-Set up the account with them. If they already have an account, ask to review the security settings with them to insure they’re set up appropriately.
- Encourage them to add ONLY friends they already know. Even better, show them how to block anyone that seems suspicious.
-Make sure they know never to share their password with anyone (except for with their parents of course, if they trust you enough)!
-Educate them on not posting personal information (ie: phone numbers, email addresses, home address, school locations, etc).
-Encourage them to be respectful of themselves and others. Reminding them that they shouldn’t post anything that they wouldn’t want their parents, teachers, predators, or college recruiters to see.
-But most importantly, tell them how important they are to you. How their safety and well being is your utmost priority. I also put the fear of God in my son. If he acts inappropriately, I have no problem pulling the plug and removing this privilege (fear always works with my kids).

MySpace offers parents the option to report and have their child’s page deleted if they are under 14, or if they have violated the terms of usage. I encourage you to read their safety page to understand their rules and regs.
More information regarding internet safety can be found on the following sites:
>>    OnguardOnline.gov
>>    WiredSafety.org
>>    Commonsense.com
>>    Ncmec.org
>>    TRUSTe.org
>>    ConnectSafely.org
>>    NetSmartz.org
>>    WebWiseKids.org
When the BIG “1-4” rolls around my son and I are all set. I’m here to help, ready to offer my ninja page pimping html skills, ready to let go of control a little, to trust in the job I’ve done as a parent so far, to take a deep breath, have some faith, and let um at it!
But just in case, when this magical day does come around, I think I shall send a friendly email to my friends and family on MySpace asking for a helping hand in keeping an eye on my pup and his virtual activity. After all, as they say… it takes a village to raise a child, and nowadays an online community!

tt.m

Guest Writer tt.m-Marlena Salinas is a tech savvy boho-chic mom born and raised in the Bay Area. She works as full time medical professional, is a self professed make-up addict, and part time make-up artist. She enjoys traveling, reading, dancing, and is passionate about discovering new ways to enhance raising her two well rounded, pre-teen and teenage kids.