Parents: Worried about kids online activities? Join them!

"Wired Shut", by Annie Finnigan in August 2007 Family Circle provides practical advice to parents who are worried that their children are too dependent and distracted by online technologies. The advice sounds like the same advice I give professionals.

• Join them!
  
• Create your own blog.
  
• Create a Facebook or MySpace account.
  
• Use text messaging and instant messaging.
  
• Ask your teen to teach you these technologies.

Most of these technologies are easy to learn, and if you don't know how to get started, ask your child.

The article also provides a good discussion of advantages that teenagers and tweens have by learning to communicate and use their creativity using these connecting tools.