Parents: What are your kids texting?
Do you know? Do you ask? Do you look?
A new survey from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that 4% of cell-owning teens ages 12-17 say they have sent sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images or videos of themselves to someone else via text, a practice also known as “sexting”; 15% say they have received such images of *someone they know* via text message.
“Teens explained to us how sexually suggestive images have become a form of relationship currency,” said Amanda Lenhart, Senior Research Specialist and author of the report. “These images are shared as a part of or instead of sexual activity, or as a way of starting or maintaining a relationship with a significant other. And they are also passed along to friends for their entertainment value, as a joke or for fun.”
Parents, even if your child doesn’t have a cell phone, this is something you need to talk about, investigate and teach/lead in. If they do have a cell phone, you need to talk more, investigate more and teach/lead more.
- Does your child know what their expectations are?
- Have you laid out what is and is not acceptable?
- Will you allow the culture to tell them what is “normal” and “ok” in a friendship?
Please help your kids think wisely, behave in a God-honoring way, and to have safe guidelines established by mom and dad.
Serving with you,
Pastor Erik
(stats and info from Jim Burn’s www.homeword.com “Culture Brief”)
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