By Luke Gilkerson Internet Community Manager Covenant Eyes
You may have heard your teens throw around words like MySpace, Facebook, Xanga, Hi5, or Youtube. You may hear them talking about updating their “profile,” their “pics” or their “blog.” If you are confused by the lingo, hopefully this brief article will help you understand the world of social networking, why it is so popular and what to look out for.
A social network is simply an informal, loosely-connected group of people. A church, school club, neighborhood, community group, or PTA can all be examples of social networks. A social networking website is a web page that helps people start and maintain networks of friends and acquaintances.
Social networking websites have considerably changed the way teens interact today. These websites have become very popular in the last ten years and are a way for teens to own a little “piece of the Internet,” a place to express their ideas creatively, talk about what's going on in their lives, write articles, publish their artwork, or speak about the things that interest them. These sites are popular because:
They help teens stay informed about what's going on in their friends' lives. Each person using a social networking site creates a “profile.” A profile might contain someone's name (or nickname), information about that person's interests or hobbies, and perhaps a picture or photo album of pictures. Because of these features, social networking sites add a sense of “realism” for teens who socialize online.
They help teens keep in touch with distant friendships. For some, social networking has virtually replaced email as a means of long distance communication. Teens can keep others informed about their lives through stories, pictures, and videos.
They are an easy way to create new networks of acquaintances. Through these sites teens can join online groups and discussion forums united around common interests and causes. If you locate the profile of someone you know or would like to know, you can request them to be your “friend” in your network. You locate a button on their page that says “request as friend” or “add to friends.” That person will then receive a notice on their page that you have requested them to be a friend. If they accept the invitation, that person will appear in your list of friends and you will appear in their list. This will allow them access to the details of your profile.
They provide easy ways to plan social events. News about special events can spread rapidly through online networks.
They provide easy ways to share media and entertainment. Some surveys show that teens spend as much time online as they do in front of the television. Teens can easily share and distribute articles, music and video clips with their friends.
Is social networking safe? The answer entirely depends on the age and maturity of the child or teen. Many young people use social networking sites with little or no danger posed to them. However, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Young children should be supervised when first using social networking websites. It is important they learn not to release personal information to anyone on the Internet.
Teens should remember that anything they post online could be very hard or impossible to erase. Once a photo, video, or text are online, they can be copied by others and distributed anywhere. Teens should bear in mind that what they post on their personal profile might come back to haunt them in the future. (Some employers are using social networking sites to learn more about their prospective employees.)
All ages of children should learn proper ways to interact online. It is easy for the Internet to give a sense of “invisibility” to teens: they can seemingly say whatever they want to whomever they want. Some even use the Internet to bully others (called cyberbullying). Teens should learn hoe to report incidents of bullying on the social network– most of these web pages have clearly marked ways to report abuses and the speech.
Parents should also be aware that children need a well-rounded social education. Social networking is not the best training ground for healthy relationships: it requires no face-to-face interaction and tends to be a self-absorbed pursuit. If your teen or child is spending many hours a day interacting with others online, suggest some ways for them to interact with their friends in real life.
Scripture
Genesis 26:24
“I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”
July 15 Prayer
"Oh Lord, there are so many things that face our children and teens today. Help us to trust You and Your faithfulness as we teach and prepare Your most innocent ones. It is only through You that we will be more than conquerors!
"In Jesus' name, Amen!"
As you and your friends join together in the iCare initiative, please remember to meditate on this specific prayer in the coming weeks. There is great power when God's people unite in prayer!
iCare Mission
To call Christian women and their friends to prayer and action for the protection of our children and young people from the sexualized messages of the culture.
To educate women to the immediate danger of sexual exploitation and experimentation made possible by wireless technologies and mobile entertainment.
To mobilize women to join together and provide them effective action steps to protect the nation's children and youth.
We Can Help
The National Coalition provides a toll-free HelpLine that offers support, crisis intervention, consultation, education and referrals. Services are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern time by calling (800) 583-2964.
NCPCF Mission
The mission of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families (NCPCF) is to move the people of God to embrace, live out, preserve and advance the truth of biblical sexuality.
National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families 800 Compton Road, Suite 9224 · Cincinnati, Ohio 45231 Phone: (513) 521-6227 · HelpLine: (800) 583-2964 http://www.nationalcoalition.org
