Showing posts with label parenting tweens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parenting tweens. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

The Secret Language of Tweens - a Guide to Text Abbreviations

A St. Louis TV station, Channel 5, came out with a story this week about the abbreviations that tweens using when texting, and the list might surprise you. In addition to what you would expect as standard short-hand, the list includes "codes" covering everything from whether a parent is in the room ("POS" for "parents over shoulder") to finding a party ("WTPA" for "where the party at") to hooking up ("MIRL" for "meet in real life" and "NIFOC" for "nude in front of computer").

If your tween has a smartphone - and many do, including the DDs of yours truly - it is critical to talk early and often about the standards of conduct that your family has for ALL communications. For a primer on a Digital House Rules for your family, see this oldie-but-goodie article here.

Here is the full list of over 100 tween text abbreviations:

1. 143 - I love you
2. 2DAY - Today
3. 4EAE For ever and ever
4. ADN - Any day now
5. AFAIK - As far as I know
6. AFK - Away from keyboard
7. ASL - Age/sex/location
8. ATM - At the moment
9.  BFN - Bye for now
10. BOL - Be on later
11. BRB - Be right back
12.  BTW - By the way
13. CTN - Can’t talk now
14. DWBH - Don’t worry, be happy
15.  F2F or FTF - Face to face
16.  FWB Friends with benefits
17.  FYEO - For your eyes only
18. GAL – Get a life
19. GB - Goodbye
20. GLHF - Good luck, have fun
21. GTG - Got to go
22. GYPO Get your pants off
23. HAK - Hugs and kisses
24. HAND - Have a nice day
25. HTH - Hope this helps / Happy to help
26. HW - Homework
27. IDK - I don’t know
28. IIRC - If I remember correctly
29. IKR - I know, right?
30. ILY / ILU - I love you
31. IM - Instant message
32. IMHO - In my honest opinion / In my humble opinion
33. IMO - In my opinion
34. IRL - In real life
35. IWSN - I want sex now
36. IU2U - It’s up to you
37. IYKWIM - If you know what I mean
38. J/K - Just kidding
39. J4F - Just for fun
40. JIC - Just in case
41. JSYK - Just so you know
42. KFY - Kiss for you
43. KPC Keeping parents clueless
44. L8 Late
45. LMBO - Laughing my butt off
46. LMIRL – Let’s meet in real life
47. LMK - Let me know
48. LOL - Laugh out loud
49. LSR - Loser
50. MIRL - Meet in real life
51. MOS - Mom over shoulder
52. NAGI - Not a good idea
53. NIFOC - Nude in front of computer
54. NM - Never mind
55. NMU - Not much, you?
56. NP No problem
57. NTS - Note to self
58. OIC - Oh I see
59.  OMG - Oh my God
60. ORLY - Oh, really?
61. OT Off topic
62. OTP- On the phone
63. P911- Parent alert
64. PAW - Parents are watching
65. PCM - Please call me
66. PIR - Parent in room
67. PLS or PLZ - Please
68. PPL - People
69. POS - Parents over shoulder
70. PTB - Please text back
71. QQ - Crying. This abbreviation produces an emoticon in text. It’s often used sarcastically.
72. RAK Random act of kindness
73. RL - Real life
74. ROFL - Rolling on the floor laughing
75.  RT - Retweet
76. RUOK - Are you okay?
77. SMH - Shaking my head
78. SOS - Someone over shoulder
79. SRSLY- Seriously
80. SSDD Same stuff, different day
81.  SWAK - Sealed with a kiss
82. SWYP - So, what’s your problem?
83. SYS - See you soon
84. TBC - To be continued
85. TDTM -Talk dirty to me
86. TIME Tears in my eyes
87. WYCM - Will you call me?
88. TMI - Too much information
89. TMRW - Tomorrow
90.  TTYL - Talk to you later
91.  TY or TU Thank you
92. VSF - Very sad face
93. WB - Welcome back
94. WTH What the heck?
95.  WTPA - Where the party at?
96.  WYCM - Will you call me?
97. YGM - You’ve got mail
98. YOLO - You only live once
99. YW - You’re welcome
100. ZOMG Oh my God (sarcastic)
101. 182 - I hate you
102. 420 - Marijuana
103. ADR - Address
104. CD9 - Code 9 - it means parents are around
105. ILU - I Love You
106. KOTL - Kiss On The Lips
107. LMIRL - Let's Meet In Real Life
108. NIFOC - Nude In Front Of The Computer
109. P999 - Parent Alert
110. PAL - Parents Are Listening -or- Peace And Love
111. RU/18 - Are You Over 18?
112. WYRN - What's Your Real Name?

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Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Upcoming Book on Parenting Tweens/ Teens Offers Counter-Intuitive Advice

Teacher Tyler Durman has a new book coming out next month that offers some counter-intuitive advice to parents of tween and teens. We've not had a chance to read it as yet, but here is a preview from "Counter-Intuitive: What 4 Million Teenagers Wish We Knew":

  • Being your tween's friend is the worst thing you can be
  • Welcome disrespect
  • Create boundaries that kids will like

In the era of helicopter parenting, this is a refreshing perspective to add to the parenting discussion, and we are eagerly awaiting our copy to review.

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Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Instagram: Where Tween Girls Hangout

The ever-illuminating Rachel Simmons has just posted a piece on Time.com titled "The Secret Language of Girls on Instagram". It's a must-read item for all parents of tweens. Rachel discusses how girls' social currency and status is cultivated on Instagram and what parents need to understand about the platform (hint: it's not just for sharing pics).

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Monday, September 15, 2014

An Online Support Group for Parents of Tweens, Teens

We just got word of a new online support group for parents of tweens and teens. It's run by the University of Wisconsin, Madison and is called My Parenthetical (get it?). The site offers recent research, Q&A, blog posts, and an opportunity to post questions to a discussion board. The entire site is moderated by family researchers at the University. Some posts that piqued are interest are discussions related to homework tips and how to balance setting boundaries with granting freedoms. Pretty cool, in our books. Check it out!

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Monday, June 30, 2014

45% of Teens Would Change Their Online Behavior If They Knew Their Parents Were Watching.

The online security company McAfee has just published their annual report on "Teens and Screens", and the findings are prescriptive for us as parents. While most social networking sites' Terms of Service limit usage by tweens, many tweens use them anyways.  See below for a great infographic summarizing the report's findings; highlights from this report include:
  • Nearly half (45%) of teens said that they would change their online behaviors if they knew that their parents were watching. Do you know how your tween behaves online? Do you know their virtual friends and hangouts?
  • Nearly half (49%) of teens regretted something they've posted online - this despite being told that anything posted online is forever (yes, even SnapChat).
  • More than half (52%) of teens do not turn off their GPS or location services on their smartphones. This means that online strangers can find your teen IRL (in-real-life).
For LOTS of tips on how to approach tech with your tween, check out our article on Creating a Family Technology Policy.



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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Another Reason For Tweens To Ride Bikes

Friday, May 18th, is the annual Bike to Work Day in Washington (cities around the country have held Bike to Work Days throughout this week) - it should just as easily be called Bike Everywhere Day to include kids. We stumbled upon a recent study that found that kids who are driven everywhere grow up alienated from their environments, whereas kids who grow up walking and biking in their neighborhoods feel safer and have better senses of both direction and belonging.
We want our tween daughters to be able to navigate a city, use public transportation with confidence, and learn how to be safe in a multitude of environments - and a big part of all of those goals is helping them to form a good sense of direction and be map-literate. We found the study to be very interesting and promptly went out and purchased bus passes for the girls. We'll all be biking tomorrow and have spent this month getting used to taking the bus home from school. Does your family use public transportation or bikes to get around? What tips can you share about teaching tweens to be safely independent?

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Friday, March 2, 2012

Reading Resources for Tweens in Honor of Dr. Seuss' Birthday & The Lorax

You're never too old to read to your kid - even in her tween years. On today, Dr. Seuss' birthday and National Read Across America Day, we wanted to share a book called "The Reading Promise." Written by Alice Ozma it chronicles the promise made to Ms. Ozma by her father when she was 9 years old (a tween!) to read to her every day for one hundred days. One hundred days turned into one thousand days and then more - until Ms. Ozma went to college. Our tween's middle school and our teen's high school have both launched a "reading streak" campaign challenging parents to read daily to their tweens and teens. We thought today would be an auspicious day to kick-off the program in our house. We're on the hunt for the best read aloud books for 7 to 14 year olds - please post your suggestions. Since today is also the opening of "The Lorax", we figured that would be a good place to start. (Also check out our other Cool Seuss Things for Tweens on our Pinterest board.)


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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

To Get Her There: Girl Scouts' Campaign for Girls' Success

An amazing new campaign kicked-off today: To Get Her There. It's a massive effort by Girl Scouts to empower and encourage girls so that they succeed. A central idea is that when you help a girl, you help society overall; that leadership is a birthright of girls.

From their website:
  • The problem: There's something seriously stopping girls from reaching their full potential. What's stopping girls today? Negative influences surround girls' lives, including peer pressure to not stand out, a lack of role models and mentors, unhealthy images in the media about beauty, and even bullying from their peers. If this current cycle of discouragement continues unchecked, millions of girls won't reach their full potential as leaders in our society.  It's time we create a supportive environment that helps pave her path to success. We all have a role to play to get her there.
  • A solution: When girls succeed, so does society. We know that the greatness inside her hasn't gone away. It's just not being realized. This generation of girls deserves to lead tomorrow's boardrooms and courthouses and run our hospitals and technology start-ups. But she might not get there, unless we create the environment needed to support her. All of us have a role to play in helping girls achieve their full leadership potential. Get informed here, and then learn how you can participate, speak up, and invest in girls to create change.
I was most struck by this quote from Girl Scouts CEO Anna Maria Chavez about what happens to girls in their tween years: "Why is it that a girls' desire to lead is strongest when she's 8 years old, but then diminishes by half when she is 16 years old?"

The To Get Her There website includes a video series about "Who got YOU there?" - interviews with several successful women about "Who helped you get to where you are today?" and "How can we support girls to reach their full potential today?" Their answers are enlightening.

(Full disclosure: MsTwixt is a Girl Scout troop leader in Washington, D.C. for three troops and has been a troop leader for nine years - so yes, I have a stake in this.)

Find out how you can get involved here and watch the LiveStream address here.

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Thursday, January 12, 2012

Organizing Tweens in 2012

We like to think of the entire month of January as resolution month - it take the pressure off of having to document all of our resolutions on New Year's Day. As we put our list for 2012 together, we're reminded of our list from 2011. So far, so good.

For us, starting the new year means starting with a new calendar. We use the big desk-blotter size ones and tape the current month to the fridge. The tweens love, love, love the Hello Kitty calendar stickers for marking big dates (birthdays, field trips, concerts, etc.), but alas those are no more. 

Typically we just use whatever calendar is at the office supply store (read, "BORing, Mom), so this year we resolved to look around to find a more colorful one.  Below are our faves:

Designer Erin Condren is GIFTED with color. She makes a personalized family calendar. $30 at ErinCondren.com

Dylan's Candy Bar has a fun wall calendar - it's half off for $7.47 on her website





Hello Kitty calendars no longer come with stickers, but SeeJaneWork has these calendar stickers that look hip (price unknown; they're on back order).


Kate Spade has a great idea for the little things - this wall calendar is full of fun photographic details. $20 with free shipping from KateSpade.com

Another very, very colorful calendar from Lilly Pulitzer - $24.50 online


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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

A Lesson For Tweens: Umm, No - I'm Pretty Sure It's Fotoshop

January is for resolutions, and for many this includes renewed efforts to work out, look good, etc. This video comes at an opportune time as our tweens (and everyone else) see the magazine covers everywhere this month. As the video's creator says, "This commercial isn't real,  neither are society's standards of beauty." Our YouTube-obsessed tweens gave it their stamp of cool.


 


Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

Communicating With Tweens

We recently came across a rather harshly-worded article about communication between parents and children. While the author focused mainly on communicating with young children and the manifestations of those behaviors in later years, we felt that one line particular rang true when communicating with tweens, "In the parent/child relationship, communication is entirely…hear this…ENTIRELY the responsibility of the parent."

Personally, this was a great reminder for us especially during the holiday season (which, let's face it,  can be a stressful time of year with all the comings and goings and inter-generational family gatherings). It was sort of a wake-up call to remind us that as mature as our tweens can appear (especially in contrast to younger siblings), at times we place undue burden on them to articulate their needs and feelings. They're more capable of it than school and toddler-age kids, of course, but they're also still learning how and when to speak their mind - or even to sort through their feelings to figure out how they feel. Tween girls can be a moody bunch with a sullen long face in the morning that morphs seemingly instantly to a shiny happy face by lunch. In the abstract, we parents can remember that they're still sorting through who they are and cut them that slack, but in the day-to-day, I know that I lose sight of it.

We've written before about those teachable moments and life lessons that our tweens learn from parents' behaviors and responses, and while the seeds of communication were most certainly sown at a very young age, behaviors are still malleable in the tween years. Thank heavens for that. We hope that you and your tweens have a happy, healthy, and calm holiday season.

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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

A New Film Asks: What Are the Consequences of a Childhood Removed From Nature?

In this hyper-media saturated digital-age that tweens come of age in, we are all plugged-in to an astonishing degree. Now more than ever, technology permeates childhood at earlier and earlier ages - and that's often a good thing. "Play Again" is a new independent documentary that explores the consequences of trading screen-time for scene-time (outdoors). The crew follows six teenagers who, like the “average American child,” spend five to fifteen hours a day behind screens. The filmmakers unplug these teens and take them on their first wilderness adventure – no electricity, no cell phone coverage, no virtual reality. We've not yet seen the film (we missed it when it came on DC for the Environmental Film Festival) - have you seen it? What did you think? Especially after "Race to Nowhere", we're excited to catch this screening the next time it's in DC.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Barbie Gets a Tattoo

Barbie has her issues, and parents of girls are no stranger to them. Add this one to the list: the newest Barbie features Tokidoki tattoos on her body.
Certainly tattoos are becoming more mainstream, and many parents I know and love have them. Something tells me that a toy that claims to serve as a role model for girls and whose marquee product now models large, visibly highlighted tattoos will receive a lot of attention. (BTW, Hello Kitty didn't get a tokidoki tattoo.)

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Saturday, September 24, 2011

Tweens Need Boosters! Today is National Car Seat Safety Saturday

Laws vary by state, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has published guidelines for child safety for ages birth through 12. We just learned today is National Car Seat Safety Saturday, and the NHTSA wants families to check how they use car seats and booster seats and if they are installed properly. Certainly we thought we outgrew the whole car seat thing after toddler-hood, but it turns out that the guidelines are that tweens ages 8 to 12 should be in a booster seat. Seat belts-only are fine if the seat belt sits across their thighs and NOT their tummies or across their necks - 'turns out they don't work if they cross her neck. We're checking our car this weekend and may well have to deal with the wrath of the 12-year old tween who might have to return to a booster.

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Friday, June 10, 2011

Lessons Learned From Middle School: A Tween Parent's Reflections

Middle school is one of the most universally hated rites of passage in the U.S. And let's face it: it's with good reason - when else must one endure the growing pains, onset of puberty, ramped up academic requirements, and ever-shifting social landscape ALL AT ONCE? And for good measure, let's stick all of the kids going through this phase together in confined spaces for duration. I'd say that a close second to enduring middle school is parenting a child through those years. 

I realize that this intro might lead folks astray - our tween who is graduating middle school this week actually achieved some of her biggest accomplishments to-date, made some great friends, and is turning into a strong, confident young woman. But this is in spite of middle school, not because of it. So as I look to parent our other kids through their middle school years, I've cobbled together a list of lessons learned and shared wisdom from other tween parents so that I might be wiser the next time around. Please add your thoughts - because boy, does it take a village.
  • Teach perspective. If I have one mantra in parenting, it is "perspective", and believe me, I chanted it endlessly throughout the past couple of years. Because everything - the good and the bad - seems amplified in the middle school years, I tried my darndest to give our tween perspective on whatever drama was going on at the moment. Perspective that today's perceived snub wasn't the end-all-be-all of lunchroom dynamics. Perspective that one bad exam score did not doom her to never getting into college. Perspective that a sports injury didn't mean giving up a sport she loves forever. Perspective that just because "Everyone watched Glee last night" she wasn't going to be a social pariah if she had to wait until the weekend to see it. It seems that middle schools are the birthing grounds for peer pressure, so I figure that coaching her now to realize (or at least consider) that there are many paths/options/choices out there is an act of self-preservation (hers and mine).
  • Form a family policy on technology. Whatever your views on mobile phones, Facebook, Formspring, and the like, get out ahead of technology and your tween and make an informed opinion. As parents, we need to be aware of  the digital landscape before our tweens are - both the risks and the rewards. Make whatever policy makes sense for your family but have and articulate a stand on mobile phone usage, texting, social networking, etc. Be clear with your expectations and boundaries (e.g. "No Facebook until you're 13" or "Yes, you can have access to a family Facebook profile") and monitor how they engage. I don't know of a single middle school where Facebook isn't prevalent, so I highly recommend chatting with other parents about how they have established technology standards in their families.
  • Read what she's reading in English class. This is something that I've tried to do but wish I had done more of. Middle school English also functions as a very rigorous book club, and if you've read the same book she has, you'll be amazed by the conversations you'll start and continue years later. We read "The Giver" by Lois Lowry, and to this day the themes raised in the book come up in conversation. Sharing her reading list gives you wonderful substantive conversation fodder, helps her to further develop her arguments for class, and keeps your brain from turning to mush (All things in moderation folks, even People magazine.).
  • Teach stress management. Middle school algebra may strain your mind a bit, but the skills you learned to cope with exams, manage stress in school, and get a grip on a fear of public speaking are still fresh in your mind. Tweens will encounter pop-quizzes, final exams, and standardized tests for the first time in middle school - and it's gonna stress her out. Sharing the little tricks that worked for you can really help her calm the pre-test butterflies in her stomach. For more ideas, check out our Middle School Finals Care Package.
  • Coach her in study skills. She's learning study skills in school already, but you can reinforce these at home. Post her big project due dates and tests on the family calendar (this has certainly helped me to NOT schedule a dinner meeting the night before). Talk about how you've broken down a big project before into smaller, more manageable tasks. Teach her that writing is supposed to be an iterative process - the more she's used to the concept of multiple drafts, the easier the feedback will be to take.
  • Make home a home base. The later tween years are when kids "try on" different personas and take longer strides towards independence. They'll have their first school dances, attend inter-league sporting events, go to the school play with a group of friends, and much more without you. While it's a far cry from dropping them off at college, these little excursions are simultaneously fun and stressful: Will I fit in? How casual will other girls be? What if I don't see anyone I know? What if I run into the girl who was mean to me yesterday? Where will I sit at lunch? She's going to have to figure most of this out on her own, so do what you can to make home as safe as possible. For us, this means recognizing that our tweens need some downtime to just veg-out with music or with t.v. - any time that doesn't have to be productive is what you're going for here. Let her regress a bit and don't freak out when she suddenly demands to sleep with a hall light on, retrieves her once shelved stuffed animal, or suddenly craves more nesting time. The tween years are a tug and pull between young childhood and adolescence, and the small comforts of home are huge to help them make this transition.  This doesn't mean, however, letting her off the hook. Our Head of School recommends that parents keep the same standards for girls completing their chores even during exam week because it's routine, it reminds them of their role beyond being a student, and it's part of what everyone does in the family.
  • Pack the bags the night before. This sounds silly, but honestly, I've found that as our tweens age, they're WORSE at keeping track of their stuff. Maybe it's because they've got so much more going on, or maybe keeping track of their multiple class binders is all that their minds can handle at the moment, but I've made more "emergency" mid-day school deliveries than I care to admit. Institute a rule that all bags - school, soccer, swimming, etc. - be packed the night before no matter how late they're up doing homework. It'll save her a lot of last minute angst.
  • Model moderation. I'm not a doctor, but I seems to me that tween girls develop ravenous sugar cravings in middle school. Our kids like treats as much as the next ones, but candy has become a big thing in our house. I'm trying hard not to freak out too much, so I consulted our pediatrician (and our dentist). It turns out that our girls are not alone in their sugar rush, and they counseled me to keep an eye on three things: 1) Make sure that on balance, the girls eat well (so think back to the baby years when you evaluated what they ate over the course of a week) - they're going to have good days and bad. To avoid battles over food, keep an eye on what they ate over the week rather than the day (chances are they are successfully self-moderating after a sugar binge day). When in doubt, consult with your pediatrician. 2) When the sugar intake goes up, so does the level of activity. Introduce a new sport or institute family walks after dinner to counterbalance the increase in desk time and t.v. time during the tween years. And parents, this means you've got to get up and move too. 3) Make certain that dental hygiene doesn't slip - this is doubly important if she's got braces. Her friends will likely let her know if she's forgotten to brush her teeth that morning, but now that she's got her adult teeth, she's got to take care of them for the long-term.
Dear readers, what advice would you add? Please join the discussion on Facebook or by posting a comment below.

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Friday, April 15, 2011

Tweens, First Periods, Designer Pads and the New York Times

We were a bit shocked to read the article in today's New York Times, "A Younger Group For Feminine Products". The article, which ran in the Times' Advertising column, focused on Kotex's launch of a new line of feminine products for tween girls called "U by Kotex Tween" and their corresponding websites for girls (www.UbyKotex.com/HelloPeriod) and for moms (www.Kotex.com/tween).

According to Kotex' research, girls are getting their first periods as young as age 8 (which was the part that shocked us) - according to the "Journal of Adolescent Health" in 2007, the average age for first periods was 12.4 years old, and cited in the New York Times article is the medical journal "Pediatrics" which found that 15% of girls in the U.S. have their first period at age 7. We could not find that study in "Pediatrics" but did find a study in "Pediatrics" from 2006 that stated that only 10% of girls have their period by age 11 and that "studies have confirmed that a higher gain in body mass index (BMI) during childhood is related to an earlier onset of puberty."

The website for moms is educational and features Dr. Lissa Rankin, a gynecologist and author of “What’s Up Down There?: Questions You’d Only Ask Your Gynecologist if She Was Your Best Friend.” Dr. Rankin says, "A lot of moms have a hard time even talking to their own peers about this issue and have to get over their own embarrassment so they can have a candid, fun and supportive conversation with their daughters." The website for girls features written accounts of girls dealing with their first periods and a section to ask questions (which ironically requires users to verify that they are at least 13 years old - which we understand is necessary for COPPA compliance but is at odds with a website directed at tweens). We appreciate that both sites offer content that is focused more on education and less on product sales.

Kotex is also apparently running an online design contest to make pads more fashionable; the winner gets to meet fashion designer Patricia Field.

Other recent articles on medical studies and tween health are here:

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The American Academy of Pediatrics on Social Media, "Facebook Depression"

In a report released today, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) weighs-in on the pros and cons of social media and tweens. The report is titled "The Impact of Social Media Use on Children, Adolescents and Families" and can be downloaded from their website. We've pulled out the key takeaways for you below:

First, the good news:
  • Social media can be a positive in helping tweens and teens to communicate - especially those who tend to be shy in group situations.
  • Knowing how to use online social networks, smartphones and mobile phones is actually a relevant technical skill set.
  • Volunteering and youth activism is positively enabled by social media, and it's getting more tweens and teens involved.
  • Using social media can help a child to refine his or her identity by giving her an outlet for self-expression and helping her to find others with like interests.
  • Believe it or not, middle and high school students truly are using Facebook and other social networks for studying - for group projects in school and exchanging ideas and continuing substantive conversations beyond the classroom.
  • Students have readier access to important health information and can easily connect with others who face similar medical conditions. They can even use these channels to better communicate with their doctors, stay more compliant with their treatment protocols, and miss fewer doses of medication as a result of being more connected.
But there is also a darker side to social media usage by tweens and teens. We've touched upon some of these issues in earlier articles including our report from the White House Conference on Bullying Prevention. The AAP outlined the following as issues for parents to be aware of and keep vigilant about:
  • Tweens in particular can find themselves in situations online that are not age-appropriate.
  • Social media, online gaming and the like can be "addictive" from a behavioral standpoint and interfere with homework, sleep and face-to-face interactions.
  • If not explicitly addressed, students can inadvertently release and share personal information online, raising privacy, advertising to youth, exploitation, and other concerns.
  • Cyberbullying and sexting, themselves dangerous behaviors, can lead to severe depression among tweens and teens and may go unnoticed if parents are not aware of the networks in which their children participate. The AAP coins the term "Facebook Depression" in this report and defines it as what happens when tweens and teens "spend a great deal of time on Facebook and then begin to exhibit the classic the signs of depression."
The report is aimed at pediatricians and calls upon them to advise parents in the following way:
  • Ask about and understand how your child uses social media and technology,
  • Become better educated in the technologies your child is using,
  • Have a family policy for online usage including a way to double-check privacy settings/controls and monitor inappropriate posts, and
  • Actively monitor online usage and don't depend upon software to do this for you.
Related links:
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