http://www.heartlightministries.org/blogs/markgregston/2008/02/27/your-teen-and-the-internet/ Articles and insights for parents by Mark Gregston Fri, 13 May 2011 11:51:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.heartlightministries.org/blogs/markgregston/2008/02/27/your-teen-and-the-internet/comment-page-1/#comment-854 Advice for Kid's Use of Social Media Fri, 13 May 2011 11:51:15 +0000 http://www.heartlightministries.org/blogs/markgregston/2008/02/27/your-teen-and-the-internet/#comment-854 [...] Social media should be an extension of your teen’s social life, not the be-all and end-all. You are responsible for knowing your teen’s closest friends (the “inner circle”) and making sure the foundation of your teen’s social life is built on solid ground offline, so social media becomes the frosting, not the cake itself. Help him to develop healthy relationships with other teens who share your family’s values. Be the home where his friends are always welcome, so you can get to know them face-to-face and spot any problems ahead of time. Set guidelines down for the amount of time your teen spends online. [...] [...] Social media should be an extension of your teen’s social life, not the be-all and end-all. You are responsible for knowing your teen’s closest friends (the “inner circle”) and making sure the foundation of your teen’s social life is built on solid ground offline, so social media becomes the frosting, not the cake itself. Help him to develop healthy relationships with other teens who share your family’s values. Be the home where his friends are always welcome, so you can get to know them face-to-face and spot any problems ahead of time. Set guidelines down for the amount of time your teen spends online. [...]

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