8615 Ridgely’s Choice Drive
Suite 212
Baltimore, MD 21236
Tel: (410) 529-
Fax: (410) 529-
Suite 212
Baltimore, MD 21236
Tel: (410) 529-
Fax: (410) 529-
WebMaster: Edward Lehwald
Parents And Blogs
By Amy Wagner, L.C.S.W.-C (Continued)
Many teens like to make their site private which is locked to those who are not on their “friend list.” Create your own account and have them add you to their list or make them unlock the site.
Parents who are not sure if their child has a site or not and are not sure their child is being honest with them can access the site in other ways. One way is to create your own account directly from the sites listed previously with a user name and password, then click on search and put the child’s name in the search bar. Another way is to do searches directly from a search engine such as Google.com. Simply put your child’s name, school, email address or instant messenger name into the search bar and press enter. A note to remember is that teens create email accounts from many of the free email sites online not just the outlook express email offered by Microsoft. You may be surprised.
Blogs can serve a positive role by offering teenagers an outlet to share stories, discuss issues and get feedback from peers which creates and strengthens friendships. They create their own “online community”. In this community they can play the role that they want to and have a sense of belongingness and acceptance, even for those who get that from their family system. Many times their conversations are about boyfriends, girlfriends, music, school, teachers, grades, parents and their home. For some teens they can forget that anyone can read their blogs and they go into explicit detail about things even experiences with drugs, alcohol and sex. Parents have learned a lot about their children from these blogs and have been able to intervene. Additionally, it is a venue to aid in the development of social, verbal and writing skills (despite all the code abbreviations that they use), along with learning to find a means to problem-solving with peers.
While privacy is a huge issue for this age group, there has to be parameters associated with this activity. Showing interest, shows your teen that you care about them. They may not like it but negotiate the terms of the site. Remember you are the parent and you are responsible for your child’s welfare. In the long run, it may be the very thing that keeps them safe from becoming a friend to a predator.
By Amy Wagner, L.C.S.W.-
Many teens like to make their site private which is locked to those who are not on their “friend list.” Create your own account and have them add you to their list or make them unlock the site.
Parents who are not sure if their child has a site or not and are not sure their child is being honest with them can access the site in other ways. One way is to create your own account directly from the sites listed previously with a user name and password, then click on search and put the child’s name in the search bar. Another way is to do searches directly from a search engine such as Google.com. Simply put your child’s name, school, email address or instant messenger name into the search bar and press enter. A note to remember is that teens create email accounts from many of the free email sites online not just the outlook express email offered by Microsoft. You may be surprised.
Blogs can serve a positive role by offering teenagers an outlet to share stories, discuss issues and get feedback from peers which creates and strengthens friendships. They create their own “online community”. In this community they can play the role that they want to and have a sense of belongingness and acceptance, even for those who get that from their family system. Many times their conversations are about boyfriends, girlfriends, music, school, teachers, grades, parents and their home. For some teens they can forget that anyone can read their blogs and they go into explicit detail about things even experiences with drugs, alcohol and sex. Parents have learned a lot about their children from these blogs and have been able to intervene. Additionally, it is a venue to aid in the development of social, verbal and writing skills (despite all the code abbreviations that they use), along with learning to find a means to problem-