Dear JABBERS:

As much as I have resisted over the last few years, I have finally succumbed to every woman's nightmare: I have become my mother. It all started when my nine-year-old son came home last week and told me that he was going to download Instagram on his iPod Touch. Personally, I love Instagram and use it often. But I don't think that at age nine, my son is mature enough to send photos or write comments online. I explained, as logically as I possibly could, the perils of kids using social media. Fueled by visions of my own youthful transgressions (imagine the photos that could have been shared from the Limelight or Dorrian's, circa 1988?), I presented an assortment of precarious situations that could put my son at risk, physically, emotionally and socially. Without going into the ugly details of his reaction, let's just say I must not have sounded quite as reasonable to my "misunderstood" son who, apparently, is still not over it.

Such is the irony of life. We can't appreciate our parents' perspective until it becomes our own. So JABBERS, if you have any thoughts to share on this issue, I would love to hear from you. In the meantime, check out some sites below that provide information about children and social media.

Happy JABBING!

There's something for everyone at the Children's Museum of the Arts' Spring Benefit auction including sports tickets, fashion packages, dining certificates, private tours of cultural NYC landmarks and a guest judgeship for the annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. Feel great knowing that proceeds support expanding capacity at the museum, which provides quality, authentic and accessible arts programs to NYC families. Online bidding runs through May 9th HERE. We hope you'll also join us on May 6th for CMA's Spring Benefit - it's fun for the whole family!*

Although navigating cyberspace is now second-nature to most of us, our lack of exposure to social media when we were kids, leaves us at a slight disadvantage when trying to relate to our children on this issue. It's not that we weren't social, but if anyone wants to find the evidence of our adolescent indiscretions, they'd have to dig through notes, journals, and blurry photos stored in dusty boxes in our parents' garage. Our children, however, live in a different world - one through which we have to help guide them. If you want to learn more about how children today can connect safely (and how to prevent them from documenting their occasional lapse of judgment), check out the resources below.

Connect Safely - a non-profit forum for parents, teens, educators to have a voice in the public discussion about youth online safety.

Yoursphere for Parents - an online source for social networking and internet safety information and tools.

OnGuard Online - The federal government's guide to internet safety.

GetNetWise - public service created through a partnership between Internet industry corporations and public interest organizations.

Internet Keep Safe Coalition (iKeepSafe) - a non-profit alliance of industry leaders, law enforcement members, educators, and technology experts who research and keep track of global trends surrounding digitally connected products and their effect on children.

Mother's Day is fast approaching and what better way to celebrate your mother than by sharing the fact that "mom was right." Please share with us the best advice your mother ever gave you and we'll post it in our May 10th, Mother's Day edition.

 

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