Social Networking and Teens: What Parents Need to Know

Today I am presenting a session on "Social Networking and Teens: What Parents Need to Know" as part of a 5-week Parent Breakfast Series at Stevenson High School, hosted by Jerry Franklin, academic counselor and Lisa Franz, school social worker. The goal of these meetings is to provide a forum to "discuss some of the challenges parents raising teenagers face during adolescent development. This group will provide information, strategies, mutual support and resources for parents who would like to gain an increased understanding of their children while improving their parenting approach."

Here is a link to the audio file of the presentation.

Here are links to resources mentioned:

Project Tomorrow
http://www.tomorrow.org/

Digital Youth Project
http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/report

Danah Boyd, Researcher
http://www.danah.org/

Danah Boyd on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mzctKajhI0

PEW Internet Report: Social Networking Websites and Teens
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2007/Social-Networking-Websites-and-Teens.aspx

Five Years of Free Friendship – Facebook commentary
http://www.pewinternet.org/Commentary/2009/February/Five-Years-of-Free-Friendship-Online.aspx

10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know
http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/02/facebook-privacy/

Readers Digest May 2009 Report
http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/parent-alert-teens-and-porn/article125454.html

New NSBA Report on Social Networking
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/2007/08/new_nsba_report_on_social_netw.html

Digital Dossier
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79IYZVYIVLA

CyberSmart Curriculum

http://www.cybersmartcurriculum.org/

And the slides from the presentation

Special thanks to Steve Dembo, of Discovery Education for his help and sharing his resources.

Additional websites shared during the presentation:

• http://www.zabasearch.com/
• http://isafe.org/
• http://www.spectorsoft.com/products/SpectorPro_Windows/
• http://imsafer.com/
• http://www.spamino.com
• http://www.cybersmartcurriculum.org/

And, for more information about the Illinois Internet Safety Act, please visit: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=095-0869

PBS Frontline Series: Growing up online

If you missed this program Tuesday evening, note that you can view it entirely online!!
Description from PBS - FRONTLINE: Growing up online:

Just how radically is the Internet transforming the experience of childhood? FRONTLINE looks at the impact of the Internet on adolescence through the eyes of teens and their parents and what does it mean to be the first generation of coming of age via the Internet.

There are views presented from teachers, researchers, parents, and students, as well as information that parents need to know to begin or continue to teach Internet safety at home.

Note, there is a "Teacher's Guide to Growing Up Online" scheduled to be posted in February.
Visit: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/ The website also provides in-depth interview with educators, click the "Inside the Revolution" link on the page, or here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/inside/

Do you think we are doing all we can? Look for the "Join the Discussion" link at the bottom of the FRONTLINE page to the post your opinions for the producers, or leave a comment on this post to express your views relating to our community.