When it comes to communication, times have definitely
changed. When we were kids, talking to each other meant an
occasional phone call, or waiting until we saw each other in
school the next day. Now, teens and even younger children have
access to so many forms of communication that they are never at
a loss to talk to each other. Chatting via instant messenger,
email and even cell phone text messages are all commonplace for
today's youth – but what does all of this technology mean for
parents? Here are some facts you should know about the way kids
talk with each other.
Chances are, you have a computer that's hooked up to the
Internet in your home. This means that your children have the
ability to talk to their friends via email (electronic mail) or
instant messaging programs. If kids want to talk to each other
in real time, instant messaging is the way to go – users just
download a simple program (two popular ones are AOL Instant
Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger) and they are able to type
messages to each other as long as both parties have the program.
This form of communication can be great for keeping in touch
with friends, but can also invite unwanted strangers to try to
talk with your children. It's important to make sure you know
what your kids are doing on line at all times.
Another
way kids talk to each other without actually speaking is via
text message. This form of chatting requires a teen (or even a
younger child) to have a cell phone equipped with text messaging
software and service. Text messaging services can be bundled
with your regular cell phone service, or they can be an
additional fee-based service (where you are charged either per
text or a flat fee per month). Text messaging offers kids a way
to send short messages to each other via the cell phone, but
does not require actually speaking on the phone. While this can
be good for occasional use, sometimes kids get a bit caught up
text messaging and can either run up large bills or disrupt
their classes in school. If you are planning to let your child
use text messaging on their cell phone, it's important to teach
them about proper usage.
Today's youth has many more choices when it comes to staying
in touch – and while this can be a good thing, it may also be
disruptive to important aspects of their lives such as school
work. As a parent, be sure to make your child aware of proper
computer and cell phone usage, and keep yourself informed about
your child's activities both on line and in real life.
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