One of the questions that comes up time and again is how do we safeguard our children from being exposed to drugs and pro drug use content on the Internet? 

Most parents are already attuned to risks on the web like online predators and sexual content. Increasingly, sites that promote illicit drug use — actually explaining which drugs to use and how to do it — are coming to the attention of parents as their children are exposed.  What’s more, rogue online pharmacies and their e-mail spam promote painkillers and other drugs to teens with “no prescription needed” while blogs and teen content portray drug and alcohol abuse as no big deal.

Our colleagues at the Treatment Research Institute in Philadelphia have been studying the growth of these sites.  They came away so worried about the scale and scope that they’ve invited us to partner with them and an Internet developer to launch a new online platform called WebSafe Parent available at www.websafeparent.com

WebSafe will be an online community educating adults about this content and how their children are exposed to it.  WebSafe will also provide Community Alerts that regularly notify registered “WebSafe Parents” about new and potentially harmful websites and other threats.  Parents who want to go a step further can purchase state-of-the-art software that can monitor and control how long, when and what sites children are visiting — and even block children from giving out personal information.  Longer term, members will be invited to join local “WebSafe Communities” where they can exchange information about threats with other adults in their area.

This is an increasingly digital world where teens surf freely and much of the time profit greatly from the experience.  Our goal through this latest partnership is to enlighten and empower parents to protect their kids when they get into situations that can ultimately prove dangerous.  It’s also a prime opportunity to remind parents and caregivers of the immense power and influence you have to help your kids make the right choices for themselves!

What are your thoughts on the content kids are exposed to on the web?  Do you think your kids have discovered pro drug, sexual or other content?

• 	Posted by: Steve Pasierb | 3 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

Princeton Review has recently released its 2010 edition of The Best 371 Colleges, ranking American colleges and universities by almost every criterion possible, from knowledgeable professors to quality of dorm food. But despite the fact that nearly seventy lists are included in the guide, there is one list in particular that has students, parents, and college officials across the country talking: “Party Schools,” which ranks the top 20 party schools of 2009.

According to Princeton Review, the “party schools” are determined “based on a combination of survey questions [posed to students] concerning the use of alcohol and drugs, hours of study each day, and the popularity of the Greek system.” This year, Penn State topped the list, with the University of Florida and the University of Mississippi coming in second and third, respectively. Other drug- and alcohol-related lists in The Best 371 Colleges include “Lots of Beer,” “Lots of Hard Liquor,” and “Reefer Madness.”

While school officials aim for prestige, college kids’ responses to the rankings show that many students aspire to make the “Party Schools” list. From Facebook status updates to school newspaper articles, college students across the country have been expressing pride for being ranked – and disgust at not receiving a “Party School” title. “I’m really confused that UA isn’t at least on the list,” senior Sarah Kramm told the Crimson White, the University of Alabama’s official newspaper. “It’s like every night I’ll get texts and calls about all these different parties. Not to mention all of our bars are normally packed. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Can Princeton Review’s ratings pose a threat to college kids? Absolutely, writes Richard Yoast, Ph.D., director of the American Medical Association (AMA)’s Office of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Abuse Prevention. The AMA, claiming that the party list “legitimiz[es] high-risk drinking,” has been lobbying Princeton Review for years to cease publishing this particular report. Yoast has been quoted as saying, “The Princeton Review should be ashamed to publish something for students and parents that fuels the false notion that alcohol is central to the college experience.”

Furthermore, a new study published in the Cochrane Library shows that college kids tend to drink as much as they believe their peers do – but they often overestimate how much alcohol their fellow students consume. “When a list such as ‘Party Schools’ or ‘Lots of Beer’ is published, it may inflate expectations by incoming students that ‘this is a big-time drinking school,’” explains Ken Winters, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School and a Senior Scientist at Treatment Research Institute. And having this type of perceived norm for drinking can encourage some individuals to drink more than if they held a more conservative view of the drinking norm at that school.”

“These rankings are not more than popularity contests,” Annemarie Mountz, spokesperson for number-one-rated Penn State, has said, noting that less than 1 percent of her university’s students participated in the Princeton Review survey, and that those who did participate were encouraged by their peers to boost Penn State’s partying reputation. “[The lists are] not connected to reality.”

So what if your kids are enrolled in the colleges on this year’s list? Dr. Winters suggests parents tell their kids the following: “Be smart. We don’t want you to make the list for ‘We Are Disappointed In You’ or ‘School Expulsion.’”

• 	Posted by: Joe Keenan | 2 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

Last night I tried to teach my mom (love you!) how to download a song onto her iPod.  It was a nightmare.  Not just because I had to explain the concept of an iPod (and of downloading — at least music she understood), but also because of her fear and self-doubt that came along with it. Because I am a professional blogger, I teach people and companies about the Internet, technology and social networking all the time.  I have come to realize that sometimes grown-ups are virtual kids and kids are virtual grown-ups!

Why I Think Adults are Virtually Immature and Kids are Virtually Grown-Up:

1) Learning to use a social network, such as Facebook, is like learning to ride a bike. If you learn it as a child, you are fearless, you try everything, it comes naturally and you have time to practice.  But if you learn as an adult (I am still trying to learn how to ride a bike, so I know), it is scary.  You think about how much it would hurt to fall, you do not practice as much, you feel stupid, you cannot get the gist of it as fast, and even when you do get going, you still feel nervous.  With social networking, kids go through the learning process early and some are virtually grown-up by age 12!

2) Adults often have more fears than kids. Sure, tweens and teens could probably afford to use more caution, especially when it comes to the web, but the part of their brains that would make them worry about consequences hasn’t fully developed yet.  Meanwhile, many adults I teach are too afraid of everything technological — pushing the wrong button, breaking something, or feeling “dumb,” “stupid,” or “pathetic” if they cannot get something right.  Adults who are virtual kids have a lot of fear and kids who are virtual grown-ups are secure with their online selves.

(More…)

• 	Posted by: Vanessa Van Petten | 0 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

As a father of two teens, I know it’s impossible to shield our kids from messages that promote underage drinking. That said, it’s always nice to be given a heads-up so we know just who and what in pop culture may be negatively influencing our kids – and right now in particular, I think you’ll be surprised to find out some of the sources sending pro-drinking messages to our teenagers. Here’s a quick round-up of where our kids have been seeing and hearing “cool” alcohol-related messages lately:

Tweens and younger teens: The latest Harry Potter movie. If you think I’m kidding, check out this article from the New York Times, which cites a number of scenes in which our favorite young wizards, only about 16, drink “butterbeer” and appear to get drunk.

(More…)

• 	Posted by: Joe Keenan | 6 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

At long last a simple online tool to help decode text messages: http://www.lgdtxtr.com/

• 	Posted by: Joe Keenan | 2 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

Recently, we had a scary incident occur at school for our 12-year-old son, Adam, that merits sharing.

At the beginning of the school year, Adam’s first year in middle school, he befriended a boy I wasn’t completely comfortable with for various reasons (we’ll call the boy Joe). Adam, a kid with a big heart who befriends just about everyone, genuinely liked Joe and hung out with him. I remained cautious, but allowed him to invite Joe over from time to time. I shared my concern and how I felt about Joe with Adam, but it was hard to argue with my son because he truly liked this child and didn’t have any real reason not to.

Then, months went by and we didn’t see Joe. I asked Adam about it and he said he didn’t feel comfortable around him anymore. I wasn’t about to argue with him since I was uncomfortable around him as well, but felt better knowing Adam could sense something wasn’t right.
(More…)

• 	Posted by: Tara Paterson | 2 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

In the past 6 months, we have gotten about 20 to 30 emails from young people as well as parents reporting that shoplifting is a major concern.  Here are some thoughts from my research as well as our teen trendsetter network.

Ideas on Shoplifting:

1) Shoplifting Is Old
Shoplifting has always been a problem among young people.  I think that perhaps we are now seeing more of a problem, but parents and adults who think that this has not been an issue for every generation are mistaken.  Shoplifting is an old problem; it is just dressed a little differently…

2) What is Shoplifted is Different…
I asked my teen trendsetter group about this trend. They said that what is mainly different about shoplifting today is that what’s stolen is no longer just gum and snacks.  Today, it is iTunes gift cards and Red Bull.

Top 5 Things Teens Shoplift:
iTunes Cards
Red Bull
Snacks
Candy
Magazines

3) Alcohol and Cigarettes
These did not make the top 5, but were towards the top.  Many teens, when asked, do not consider stealing alcohol shoplifting.  In fact, one of my teen advisors says, “Stealing alcohol is like a rite of passage.  You do it to grow up.  Plus, we practically deserve to get alcohol for free because we CAN’T buy it.  I would buy it if they would let me.  I steal it because they will not let me buy it.”

(More…)

• 	Posted by: Vanessa Van Petten | 2 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

Just read mommy blogger Lisa Belkin’s article in the New York Times Magazine entitled “Let the Kid Be.”

Let the kid be? What does this mean exactly?

Here at the Partnership, we believe in creating and maintaining a strong bond with one’s teen. Parents need to stay involved, keep an ongoing dialogue with their kids, and know their whereabouts, their friends, their school habits and their online activities.

But Belkin brings up some good food for thought – at what point does concerned, involved parenting actually become helicopter parenting (or “I-am-never-going-to-let-my-kid-out-of-my-sight parenting,” as Belkin jokingly calls it)?

Maybe, as this article suggests, just “chilling” is the smartest thing we can do as moms and dads. We’ll be less stressed and fearful of parental failure, our kids will feel less stifled, and we may even save some cash in these tight economic times. But, on the other hand – can you really ever be over-involved as a parent? After all, it’s our job (and our instinct) to help and protect our kids.

What do you think? When does protecting become overprotecting? Where do you draw the line between good parenting and helicopter parenting – or do you not draw a line at all?

• 	Posted by: Joe Keenan | 3 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine

Yesterday I posted a great article on just how much teens are texting these days (hint: it’s even more than you think). So it may be hard to believe that while our kids are so steeped in their own little virtual worlds, they are actually hugging and non-sexually touching each other more than ever! In fact, gratuitous hugging has become so common and disruptive lately that many middle and high schools around the country are actually banning this seemingly innocent gesture. In this article from the New York Times, Sarah Kershaw explores all the ins and outs of the new teenage hug.

So, what’s your take on all this? By banning hugging, are we making it even harder for the Facebook and Twitter generation to develop genuine human bonds? Or do you think teens right now are creeping into dangerous—or at least uncomfortable—territory? (For more perspective, see what our guest blogger Vanessa has to say here.)

• 	Posted by: Joe Keenan | 2 Comment(s)
  	Share this : del.icio.us |  Digg |  Facebook  |  Newsvine