The most important thing parents can teach children in order to groom them for cyber-safe use of texting and social media is that they already have power and it must be defended. It is like the teacher saying, “You already have an ‘A’. Your assignment is to defend it.” The seminal question for the modern teen is, how much personal power will you surrender to the bully, the drug or the device?

Every day youth are exposed to the latest digital hangouts – most of it is adult swim, content that features bullying (ask.fm, YikYak), addiction (drugs and alcohol glorified) and exploitation (gratuitous sex and consumer hype). This reality of the cyber realm, this brave new world can be intimidating to confront if you are the parent of a middle schooler. A recent Contra Costa Times article featured awareness with the title: “There is nothing simple about parenting in the digital age”. Well, I beg to differ.

It is fair to say that “child proof” is an oxymoron in the age of tech-savvy kids. This is especially true for medications and mobile devices. What we have learned about misuse of devices and drugs over the past decade applies to tiny tots as well as teens...

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

As a mom of two grown sons, I left the corporate world in 2004 when my youngest son hit middle school to better understand what it means to grow up in a cyber-powered world and the new demands on parents. My mother heart wanted to know how we are supposed to provide protective cover for youth who have literally have …

While you can establish age-appropriate boundaries it is not possible to have control over your child and the technology, and fearful thoughts can consume a parent (i.e., worrying or micro managing) and can make you un-relatable or hostile which kills open communication essential to cyber safety because kids can easily hide risky experiences from parents. That is why parenting tech-savvy kids requires mental fitness which comes from the confidence of your faith.

Culture is the software of the heart and mind; it is the composite of beliefs, values, and customs that create a unified sense of identity for a group. In the cyber social realm, our children are navigating many cultures in their peer communities and other media streams including pop culture. This is how I define the network culture:

One of the great temptations for the modern parent is to rely on gadgets to ease some of the time and attention demands of babies. A great example is a baby seat that sways in a way to mimic a human rocking a baby, and can be operated by remote control. As with all innovations, they can be used for good or not good, and so I decided to write a feature for my Sacramento Cyber Safety Examiner column below on the nature of gadgets for parents of babies, and some considerations for wise use.

So the big question remains: what role does cyber connectivity play in your family life? Does it promote deeper, more engaged conversations to build trustworthy relationships? Or does it isolate individuals in your home leaving children vulnerable to bullying and exploitation? Below are some signs that the cyber technology is managing you and disrupting family bonding experiences essential to build trust, which is what digital natives value more than money.

It is true that all innovations can be used for good, or not good. This goes for matches, the automobile, prescription drugs and smart devices. The question remains who is in charge? You or the device?

When it comes to raising kids with mobile connectivity in the home, consider that where you pay attention is where your heart is. So how much of your attention does your child receive?