Back to school is a time of excitement as well as insecurity and uncertainty. And in the cyber social realm, where it is easy to be mean, the cyberbully phenomenon surfaces as a topic of concern and conversation. While bullying is not new, the level of hostility and persistent invasiveness that mobile connectivity inspires in the social networks our children navigate on and off line is unprecedented. And the children need socialization to help them overcome the lack of empathy that can happen from behind the screen. It is a challenge that has inspired legislation across the nation to make cyberbullying cause for disciplinary action in schools.

The new iPhone 6 and iOS8 was released last week, and as is always the case, new releases of technology bring changes that can be good and potentially problematic. So parents need to be aware of what is involved and have a plan to handle it.

The pursuit of truth is difficult when emotions are high and this is especially true in the social network. Cyber-powered connectivity can intensify the temptation to rush to judgment without all the facts and it is difficult to maintain a perspective informed by the aim to pursue justice before the pursuit of truth has even begun...

There is a tendency to want to lecture and tell kids what to do, or say nothing for fear that you don’t know what to tell them because you don’t know what is happening. The most important thing a parent can do is get interested in what your child thinks, and get them talking about the apps and how kids are using them. Without open communication about what is going on, it is not possible to know what you need to know in order to impart wisdom.

This talk explores ways to have a meaningful conversation with your child about sexual exploitation, and in particular as it relates to internet porn and sexting.

Parental control apps have limited value, and must always be used in context of the bigger lesson about making good decisions and establishing good habits. If your child is using her device and ignoring you, and you choose to use Ignore Me No More, create a more robust context about making good choices.

The tap and click tablet, internet-enabled world conditions us for instant gratification. How many of us become impatient when an application takes too long to process a command? Yep. Thirty seconds can feel like an eternity. In the cyber social realm impulsivity, a lack of patience, can lead to aggressiveness and a bully climate when our personal expectations are not immediately met or when we are displeased or disturbed. Let’s face it, in a “me”-centered world there can be no peace.

...humility is choosing to assert control over the “smarty pants” self, and stand your ground about where you believe your power comes from in the first place. It is the “What Would Jesus Do” model. When you are feeling uneasy or threatened, it is better to pray about it and trust God with the issue first so you can think and act with an intelligent heart, rather than act out impulsively. Impulsiveness is lack of self control; it can be and expression of insecurity and anger – all of which are powerless states of mind and contribute further to the disturbing of the peace.

Over the past few weeks Jodie and I have talked about bringing clarity to key concepts that help us and our children maintain open communication rooted in truth: private and secret, brave and risky, and trust and faith. Today we are talking about clarifying what it means to forgive and excuse so as to help promote individual resiliency.

Living with the consequences of our choices can be a challenge in the modern world especially for our children whose cyber-powered experiences can convince them they have no real choices.