Where is your teen? (Pt 2)

Before we pick on Twitter, let's take a frank look and see why social networking is such a huge area of opportunity to parents and guardians.

Pornography is a huge issue for people of all ages and sexes. Two decades ago, when your stereotypical boy wanted to view nude images, he had to be fortunate enough o have a friend who had a brother who knew a friend that hung out with a dude whose father had a stash of nudie mags. To actually find a "blue movie" you needed an even greater provision of provenance.

In other words, you had to work HARD for smut.

Today? All it takes is a relatively innocent search on Google Images to bring up material of a questionable nature.

Sexting, as a concept, confuses me. I used to think that it must be because I grew up in tamer times, but that is nonsense. To do the equivalent of sending naked photographs back then, one would have had to lug around a Polaroid and a fax machine. It was just easier to keep ones clothes on and take them off in person. Transmitting photographs was just not worth the ROI.

My point is that now, the material is out there, and disseminating it is almost too easy. Kids carry more computing power in their pockets than we had collectively in my neighborhood growing up.

FACT: there are psychos out there. They are not sitting at home bemoaning how technology and awareness have made it harder to do the snatch and grabs they cut their teeth with. They are adjusting too. Facebook does not background users, so, you might assess those 900 friends your son or daughter has -- more than you have met in your lifetime -- a bit more carefully.

What are the true dangers? I dislike fear mongers, so I am truly not being sensational. Still, when you consider that the average teen can give his/her current state of mind, home location, phone number and current location, parents should be plugged in.

This is part 2 of 3 of a mini-ebook. Come back for Part 3.