What do tech-savvy teens need from parents? They need parents to provide a safe place where they can talk about the real pressures and insecurities they face.

Every modern parent must consider that in their cyber realm, youth accessing and using drugs without direction of a physician may seem like such a normal thing to do – especially when responding to the amount of stress and peer pressure hyped in social media.

Effective January 1, 2016, the State of California is enforcing new rules for law enforcement to gather personal data, and for manufacturers of devices and web-enabled services, such as smart televisions and parking security services. The aim of the legislation is to protect the on-line privacy and civil liberty of citizens. And while legislation provides some very important safeguards against the abuse of personal data provided by consumers and citizens, the most important privacy measures are learned and enforced at home. This is to provide an overview of the new on-line privacy laws, and reinforce the things we must do at home to protect privacy.

I have spent a great deal of time researching the impact of negative body image messages that our youth face. Whether secular or non-secular, within family systems, the school system, church, social media or literature, many of our youth live within unhealthy, dysfunctional, non-supportive family systems, and thus develop faulty beliefs about themselves and harmful behaviors which can lead to poor self image, unhealthy choices, behaviors to including eating disorders, addiction, process addictions, sex behaviors, and more. As you know from the research, information and trainings of Banana Moments Foundation, the complexity that social media, cyber world activities and the epidemic decline in family values, morality, sexual exploitation further complicate the world through the eyes of our youth. I am passionate about sharing this information to bring about a greater awareness for parents that may be reading this article.

A Center for Disease Control study on Childhood Stress with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, explains there are three types of stress: positive, tolerable and toxic. Toxic stress is chronic and can lead to health issues. According to the report updated in May 2011: “Toxic stress results from adverse experiences that may be sustained over a long period of time. This kind of stress can disrupt early brain development, compromise the functioning of important biological systems, and lead to long-term health problems.” Along those lines, consider texting and social media as an example of chronic teen stress that can be like peer pressure on steroids and inspire high anxiety. Theresa Thickens,

The concerns of this study are rooted in a simple truth: “When you stand for nothing, you fall for anything” (Alexander Hamilton).

Cyber Safety for Families with Joanna and Jodie on 103.9FM The Fish Family Morning Show 

Mobile connectivity use is difficult to regulate because it can be very addictive. Brain science tells us that the interaction with the device has the same effect on the brain as a drug because it stimulates the same reward system of the brain, dopamine. A new study finds that heavy use of the internet by teens may create a risk …

Grooming children for the social network is a tremendous challenge for the modern parent, largely because mobile connectivity introduces a power crisis that previous generations have not experienced. In many ways we are traveling unchartered territory of the heart and mind when it comes to the choices we make as parents with regard to access and regulated use of technology. Truly whoever has the device must learn how to think like the quarterback.

Email hacking is just one of the many ways in which cyber criminals seek to access personal information in order to exploit and plunder. As people become more accustomed to smart devices, every consumer product is web-enabled. The common term for this new reality is the “internet of things”, or IoT. Literally everything from cars to refrigerators and baby monitors are equipped with internet-enabled programming to operate remotely, according to consumer-prescribed settings which enhances convenience (for setting alarms, timing events and enabling remote access) and also introduces an element of risk from cyber hackers.

A Center for Disease Control study on Childhood Stress with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, explains there are three types of stress: positive, tolerable and toxic. Toxic stress is chronic and can lead to health issues. According to the report updated in May 2011: “Toxic stress results from adverse experiences that may be sustained over a long period of time. This kind of stress can disrupt early brain development, compromise the functioning of important biological systems, and lead to long-term health problems.” Along those lines, consider texting and social media as an example of chronic teen stress that can be like peer pressure on steroids and inspire high anxiety.