Where is your teen? (Straight talk epilogue)

Being proactively realistic is the key.

Your teen is growing up in the 21st century. He/she is likely more computer savvy than most adults. He or she probably carries a power packed phone and/or iPod touch.

Your teen is probably a good teen. Your teen probably has a good heart, and mostly stays out of trouble. 

Your teen also needs to be aware of how crazy of a world it is out there, and if they cannot or will not understand that, you -- the parent -- needs to fill the gap.

The first key is understanding. You need to understand the combo minefield/resource concept known as social networking. You need to understand the different variants, the areas of potential exposure, the current trends, and how they affect you and yours.

You need to understand that the internet does the same things for teens that it does for adults: otherwise sane people do insane things on the World Wide Web. There is a world of temptation, shadowy characters and unsavory ideas that can be propagated. Just like in real life.

Be aware of your child's online identities. I believe in encouraging expression, but ensure that your kid's online creativity matches your expectations at all times. When they don't, you might want to correct unsuitable behavior with a defined repercussion.

Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and such are great tools when controlled. Your job is to control them.

Glance at your teen's FB friends. Have a look at the tweets of their followers. Check out what videos they are "liking" on YouTube. Do they have their entire profile, including your home address and phone number on Google+? You should know the answer. I hate to sound ominous, but someone will.