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.

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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.

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No iPhone

I am almost certain that I won' be getting the iPhone. And my reason is fairly benign.

Join the discussion at ChurchMag...

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Church work on the cheap

Here is an article from a writer my wife thinks is gorgeous and extremely smart. The article talks about tools that specifically are used for church work, but could be of help to any business person.

Leave comments here or there...

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Thought dispersal

I have been blessed with an opportunity to write for a few other web publications, and I am sure it will help with streamlining this blog.

Going forward, I'll be contributing a bit more to Churchm.ag. It will be an opportunity to talk about a concept I hold dear: church and technology.

I'll also be writing some articles for Gone Googling. Obviously, this

will cater to discussing everything Google.

I am quite excited by the opportunities, and I hope that you also visit the blogs listed. They are pretty good, admittedly without my contributions.

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Churchdrop

As you know, I love church technology. It's my passion. I think the church must harness technology to reach the people we are told to reach. It's the same concept behind the move from papyrus to paper. Better tools make the job easier to do and imbibe.

I was just blessed with an opportunity to write with a bunch of guys who know way more than me on that topic. I'd like to invite you to check out Churchdrop.

Great articles by some great people... and, oh yeah, little old me.

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An ode to uncoolness.

Here's a gem from David Meurer via New Man Magazine.

Think about: does the chase of coolness prevent us from being humble?

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One nation...

I thought this was an interesting story...

On paper, it is easy to develop angst and all, but is it really that simple? It might seem odd, but I kinda see Depot's point in all this.

What is the ethical responsibility of Christ Followers in this type of scenario? While I am sympathetic, I feel like he should have removed the pin.

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Injured good Samaritan ticketed for jaywalking

Seriously? Please give this guy a break... (and someone finally did).

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Culture and the church

Great article by Twitter buddy Keith Tackel. In this blog post, he talks about culture and the church, and relates it to Paul's biblical example.

As I said, great food for thought.

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My article in Prodigal Magazine.

There is only one thing better than reading your favorite publication: reading your own article in that publication!

I have been a big fan of Prodigal Magazine since I discovered it on Alltop; thus, you'll understand my excitement when an article I wrote was published.

I am so thankful for an opportunity to write...

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Twitter for Churches.

E-Book alert!

Check out this gem from Anthony Coppedge: Twitter for Churches. Great e-book on a compelling topic, and well worth the price, IMHO.

I had an opportunity to talk to Anthony via TokBox the other day, and was struck be his raw hunger to talk about social networking in the church. He is a true ministry resource.

Check him out on Twitter and his blog.

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...83 Things...

So, I am always on the lookout for some interesting and insightful literature, and I am quite sure this will fit the bill.

It is a book from fellow Alltopper Milan Ford, who has a book coming out soon: 83 Things I Wish The Black Church Would Stop Doing.

The author also has a FaceBook page for the book; feel free to join.

Looking at Milan's page, I am sure we are long lost twins. Here's a prayer for his success.

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