It wasn’t too long ago that parents had it relatively easy. I want to emphasize the word relatively because, let’s face it, raising children right is never easy. But when it came to teaching your children morality and safety, a lecture about personal safety, responsibility and ethics made for a fairly short and pointed list.

Thanks to technology, today’s parent has added concerns to consider in their lectures and, all too often, a limited set of personal knowledge and experience on which to draw. Texting, internet bullying, sexting, phones with video capability, internet predators trolling chat rooms, Facebook and more all leave your child exposed to predation, bullying and the potential for self-destructive behavior that can follow them for years.

The problem is there is still a generational gap in which modern parents fall. Though the gap is closing, our experience with the tech tools our children use is still behind the curve. This means we are frequently unfamiliar with the very tools our children often use to dig themselves into humiliating or dangerous holes.

Difficult though it may be, the first thing we should do as parents is to educate ourselves. Take the time to understand the technology your child is using so you can speak to them from an informed position. Also take the time to learn how these technologies are being misused by children and the associated risks. This means learning about chat rooms, sexting and internet cameras for video chat – you can click here to learn more about ethics and laws surrounding network cameras and the like.

Remember that the potential embarrassment your child faces for misusing modern technology is far reaching and long lasting. In our youth, an embarrassing moment might stay with us until we relocated or graduated. Video technology on phones, YouTube and even television shows which profit from further distributing the resulting footage all combine to mean a single embarrassing moment or ill-conceived act can stick with your child wherever she goes for years to come. If you don’t believe that,

It is far better to guide your child away from such potentially embarrassing – or even life-threatening – circumstances with an informed and caring conversation. The alternative of devastating loss of self-esteem or, in the case of internet predation, loss of life are simply not acceptable. By understanding the technology your child is using you can minimize the knee jerk “you-just-don’t-understand” response you’re likely to get and prove that you very much do understand and have your child’s best interest at heart.

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