One year ago, this love triangle was revealed involving sexting. But it's happening much closer to home.
Reading yesterday’s post about sexting in the The New York Times scared the hell out of me.
I knew that it went on with kids, and that some kids had really gotten hurt by it, but it really hit home when I realized that my son will turn nine next month. And #1 on top of his birthday list is a cell phone.
Then I imagined him with handcuffs on, having been mixed up in a circle of mean-spirited kids not realizing the ramifications of a few laughs via texts and images sent with a smart phone. I imagined him locked in a jail cell, his “socks wet” as the young man said from being put in the shower with his socks on, and head spinning, wondering how his life suddenly got so complicated.
Unfortunately, adults are showing the way down this path first. Almost exactly a year ago this article on sexting was published on the Huffington post revealing how Hollywood couples engaged in sexting, so it’s no surprise that our children are following suit.
The whole cell phone issue, quite frankly, terrifies me. Luckily there are a few more years for me to sort it out, but guaranteed I’ll be researching parental controls like a maniac in preparation. What do you think?
How are you managing your teen and tweens on their phones, and what advice would you give to other parents?
About Kate Hall
There are two issues here; the first is data security/technology issue. And the other is the way adolescents are exploring sexuality in the new millennium. Is not having a cell phone that much of an imposition on kids? This is a serious question, I really don't know the answer. My children aren't old enough to even want one. But what if Parents set the age for cellphone ownership a little higher. Or parents use the technology to prohibit illicit use. Is there a phone for tweens that only makes calls and doesn't text/take photos? Its the prohibition of SMS and MMS messaging something that can be arranged by the wireless company? Very often the tools to control how your kids use the available technology go entirely unnoticed. These parental control tools are often simple, robust, and effective, but are all but entirely unused because many parents refuse to take the 30 minutes it may take to familiarize themselves with it. The second issue is the the refusal of parents to talk openly with their kids about sex and sexuality.