Talking to teenagers

Social media…what is your teenager using it for...read this, keep a healthy eye on it and then stop worrying. Yesterday the news was that 89% of teenagers worry about online privacy and data, of course they do they have just got wind of the Facebook privacy scandal and are convinced the police are coming knocking for the underage purchase of cider they posted on Facebook last weekend. I’m joking of course, but the truth is that teenagers worry about privacy generally, all the time in every aspect of their lives, not just the life online. That is why they blow their top when they find out you have shared with aunty, grandma, best friends mum about their poor judgement and risky behaviour. That is why they are generally tetchy and cynical about the meeting your having with school re performance. That is why they can’t relax while you’re in their bedroom as its an intrusion on their private space. So, what is going on when they use social media? Some parents say that the...

Notice that the experience below brings Loneliness, being alone, embarrassment, shame, self- blame, shock, anxiety and uncertainty. It also brings a need to take something positive out of very painful experience.  "When Sarah left school, I felt alone because we had left a group and I didn’t feel right to go back. Throughout the days at school, my thoughts were to get through the day as soon as possible, but always felt that people knew I was a loner and would judge me. To make myself not feel judged I would try and make myself look busy by either going to the library, ICT, learning support and the art room. It was mainly the library and ICT that I went to because I was in a year where grades were not important. I hated it when the library and ICT were closed because I didn’t know where to go, so I wondered around the school hoping no one would see me; sometimes I would find a place where no one is around and stay there for a while until someone was near. Sall...