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Educational Programs
> Programs for
Parents/Guardians
Teens and the Internet
HiTOPS Educator
“Does my daughter have any idea of how exposed she is online?”
“Are my kids really meeting new people through the internet?”
“Is it safe for my son to have a Facebook or MySpace profile?
Designed for: Parents and guardians
Developmentally, social networking websites, such as MySpace and Facebook, provide adolescents with opportunities to explore different personas and meet other teens in what they perceive as ‘safe’ and fun ways. Parents are often unaware of the extent to which their children interact with others on the Internet and feel ill-equipped to offer guidance or structure for using these websites and navigating the web.
This workshop is designed to help parents and guardians understand how teens are using the Internet, particularly MySpace, Facebook, and other social networking sites. Parents will learn how to help their children make safe choices when using the Web.
Our goals are to help parents and guardians:
• Learn why social networking websites are developmentally compelling to adolescents
• Understand how social networking websites work and how to talk with children about using them safely
• Explore strategies for helping children balance face-to-face social interaction and Internet use
• Discuss uses and abuses of other technologies such as text messaging, Instant Messaging and camera phones
Average Length of program : 90 minutes
Recommended number of participants : 20-100
