IN&AROUNDT O W NTeens and Texting TutorialBY JACKIE RIDER<strong>May</strong>be you read a newspaper articleabout teen “sexting,” or sendingsexually inappropriate photos or textmessages via cell phone and wonder ifyou should you worry that your ownteen is involved. Probably not, accordingto a recent <strong>Chappaqua</strong> PTA presentation,“Teens & Technology: WhatParents Need to Know.”On the other hand, one in fourAmerican teens who drive say theyhave texted while driving, and half ofall teens ages 12 to 17 say they’ve beena passenger while a driver has textedbehind the wheel, reports AmandaLenhart, senior research specialist atthe Pew Research Center inWashington, D.C. A separate study[Virginia Tech Research Inst.], foundthat texting takes a driver's focus away from the roadfor an average of 4.6 seconds, enough time to travel thelength of a football field at 55 mph. Now there’s somethingto worry about.Ms. Lenhart shared her findings from the Pew Internet &American Life Project's research on teens, children andfamilies, which she directs. Most of her words were reassuringto anxious parents. Only four percent of cellowningteens ages 12-17 say they have sent sexuallysuggestive nude or nearly nude images or videos ofthemselves to someone else via text messaging; 15% saythey have received such images of someone they knowvia text message, her study finds.But conventional wisdom says and Ms. Lenhart’s researchconfirms that, as she said, “Teens are overwhelminglyonline.” Sixty-five percent are online daily. “Teens consistentlyled the pack on internet adoption,” when comparedwith adults age 30 and older she added. And, while 81%of teens go online for entertainment,half of middle schoolers and even moreolder teens go online for news andinformation. Ms. Lenhart wanted parentsto know that teens often turn tothe Internet for sensitive health information.Social networks like Facebook are acritical part of teens lives, though lessso for middle schoolers. Teens usuallyhave more than one profile, but theyhave “gotten the message” about privacysettings, she said, and 60% haverestricted information about themselvesand access to their accounts.Many parents worry about onlinepredators, and Ms. Lenhart reportedthat online friendships with strangersdo happen, but not much. Only about7% report online contact with a stranger that madethem uncomfortable. Rather, their online network replicatestheir existing social network at school. “They stayin touch with the friends they already have,” she said.Online bullying or harassment, however, is a bigger<strong>issue</strong>, she said, with 32% of surveyed teens reporting it.Teens are not twittering, and blogging among that agegroup has flattened out or declined, but they are texting.“Their energy for social networking is going into theircell phones,” Ms. Lenhart said. Her research found that75% of teens have cell phones and 66% text, while 83% ofadults have cell phones and 59% text. (A Pew reportspecifically on cell phones will be coming out soon.) Here’swhere her voice grew cautionary.“Teens see what we adults do with our phones and howwe interact with technology, whether we’re glued to ourlaptops as soon as we get home, and if we’re using ourcell phones while driving,” she warned. Ms. Lenharturged parents to monitor their children’s use of socialtechnology with “involved respect.”“Tell your kids that you'd like to see their profiles/pages/onlineactivities and explain why. Ask themabout what they're doing online, who they're talking to,and what engages them and listen to their response. It'salso important to allow teens more autonomy and privacyas they grow older—because some day very soonthey'll be navigating the online world without your guidanceor intervention. And engage your kids to get themto teach you about the technologies they use and whythey like them. All of this helps keep parents more up todate and gives kids a sense of accomplishment to beteaching their parents something.”6 <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Chappaqua</strong> <strong>May</strong> <strong>2010</strong>
575 MAIN STREETARMONK, NY 10504273-7337Annual Trunk ShowSaturday, <strong>May</strong> 8th11 a.m.-4 p.m.<strong>May</strong> <strong>2010</strong> <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Chappaqua</strong> 7
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