Email, Texting, Facebook--and Our Children

Many parents are concernd about their child's electronic communications: email, texting, Facebook, Internet-based games, and more. But what can they do?

At a recent Jewish Family Service event for parents and children, Marion Underwood, PhD, professor of psychological sciences at The University of Texas at Dallas, had these suggestions:

1. Parents need to guide and socialize their children in the electronic domain just as they would in any other social context.

2. Before allowing a child to begin using email, text messaging, or Facebook, parents can let their child know that they will be monitoring these communications. Parents can request appropriate passwords, spot check text messages, and be their child's Facebook "friend" to see what the child is broadcasting to the world.

3. Parents can be reasonable in how they monitor their child's electronic communication and respectful of the child's developing autonomy. Without becoming overly involved in their child's messaging or relationships, parents can spot check occasionally and use more targeted monitoring if there is a real reason to be concerned.

4. Parents should model constructive, respectful, and reasonable use of electronic communication themselves, and be mindful of the amount of time they spend on texting, Facebook, etc. in their own lives.

5. Remember that nothing about electronic communication is inherently negative. All these technologies can be used in positive ways--including maintaining family contact as the child matures and goes out into the big, wide world.

Next week . . . specific websites to help parents keep up with potential dangers of the Internet.