Teens are always seeking the best place to express themselves privately.

You thought you knew everything you needed to know about your kids from Facebook. But guess what? Some of them are leaving Facebook and heading to Twitter just so you can’t see what they’re up to.

A new phenomenon finds teens increasingly adopting Twitter, despite conventional wisdom that most users of the social network are older adults.  The Associated Press reports that a Pew survey taken last year found that, “…16 percent of young people, ages 12 to 17, said they used Twitter. Two years earlier, that percentage was just 8 percent.”  Pew researchers believe the number is even higher now and likely to keep growing exponentially.

According to the Associated Press, here are some reasons why teens are switching to Twitter: Continue reading »

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Save everyone some heartache and don't upload this on Facebook.

If you’re one of those Facebook users who posts a picture a day of your awesome kids and family, know this: you’re bringing your most loyal FB friends (and “friends”) down. The more friends see pictures on Facebook, the more they believe your life is better than theirs and that life is not fair.

And all you thought your were doing was showing them the baby’s new tooth!

A study from Utah Valley University found that the more time spent on Facebook, the more we’re exposed to other people’s carefully culled, marvelously cute, upbeat and cheerful photos, leaving us with the impression that our life is kind of boring and that we never get to have any fun. Continue reading »

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Babble's now on Google+!

I admit I was excited about Google+ at first and then kind of forgot to check in on it for a few weeks (or months?) like everyone else but I’m really trying to finally get back into the groove of things over there. Another great reason to get your plus on is that Babble is finally on Google+ as of today!
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Facebook is just one more way for teens to shut out their parents from their lives

I was thrilled when my dad joined Facebook last year and even went so far as to log on as him, load some pictures onto his profile, make friend requests and fill out his personal information. And of course, I became his friend.

However, had Facebook been around 20 years ago when I was in high school, I might not have been as eager to usher him into the inner sanctum of my profile page. Which is why it doesn’t surprise me that 35 percent of teens recently surveyed by Kaplan Test Prep say they’ve ignored their parents’ friend requests on Facebook.

Kaplan’s theory seems to be that while kids might not have a lot of control over their academic lives, they are determined to assert some power and independence over their lives when it comes to social networks, and that may mean ignoring their parents. The survey also found that 16 percent of teens who are friends with their parents are only friends because their parents required it if they wanted permission to be on the site.

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The story of the Nativity, as told by social media.

We’ve all had those moments as parents when we accidentally sound just like our parents did. I don’t know about you, but whenever it happens to me, I find it horrifying. I constantly catch myself telling my daughter things that begin with “when I was your age.” Those sentences usually end with some derivation of how little technology I had access to.

So imagine how shocked she was the other night when I asked her if she wanted to see what the past might have looked like if it had been digitized!

And imagine her shock when, upon saying yes, she saw me pulling up YouTube on my laptop—the very site I constantly monitor whenever she’s on the computer. Continue reading »

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That's one way to get mom's attention.

Most parents truly want to instill in their children healthy media habits.  We forbid texting at the table and taking calls during dinner time.  We discourage constant Twittering, tetxting and Facebook status updating. We  put limits on television time and monitor Internet use.

But while all that is certainly important when it comes setting boundaries for our kids’ media use, it’s not enough.

Dr. Jeffry Evans, a Family Practice specialist at the Hannibal Clinic in Missouri, says that in order to drive the point home, parents need to set a good example of appropriate media use. That means, of course, examining your own behavior and perhaps setting some boundaries for yourself.

Do you ever put your kid off – for just a second – while you read an email or answer a text?  Do you answer your phone every time it rings?  Do you spend all your free time surfing the Internet or watching television?  If so, Dr. Evans says you are sending your kid a message.  The wrong message. Continue reading »

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Is your daughter herself online?

According to a new survey conducted by Girl Scouts of the USA, lots of teen girls are using social networking sites to communicate with their peers.  This should  surprise absolutely nobody.

But what might surprise some parents is the fact that when their girls go online, many of them become someone else.  In an effort to appear cooler, they downplay many of their positive characteristics to present an image of a fun, funny and socially confident girl. Continue reading »

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