News, Advice, and Tips for Parenting Teenagers

Last year, social networking sites like MySpace came to the forefront in the media, but the focus was online predators. While it's true that teens need to be mindful of who they're interacting with online, social networking sites aren't all bad. They can, in fact, provide information or clues as to whether a teen is engaging in dangerous or inappropriate behavior.

"...some experts [are] urging parents to use social networking Web sites as an early warning system to alert them to problems from substance abuse to eating disorders to violent fantasies."

Some parents admit they're hesitant to view their children's MySpace or Facebook profiles, because they feel it's an invasion of privacy. But Ann Collier, of Net Family News, hopes parents will reconsider. There's a big difference, she says, between viewing a web page on the internet and looking through - for example - a diary hidden in a drawer. And the information found in a child's profile could help a parent steer him or her away from dangerous or even life-threatening behaviors. Read more online.

Labels: internet, myspace, warning_signs

Posted By: Aspen Education Group