What do teens do now these days on the computer?

[originalkippyj]

If you want to know what your teen is really doing, either check the history (crtl-h) or install a keystroke device. What you call social networking is sometimes graphic online sexual chats, inappropriate gossip, ruining of other kids' reputations, visiting porn websites, etc. You are truly naive if you don't realize this.

Also, some sites they visit have other things (like so-called games) that they can click on, which can actually plant trojan horses or viruses in your computer. I had to wipe my hard drive last Spring because my daughter inadvertently downloaded a nasty virus. Fortunately, I have an external hard drive on which I back up my own personal information once a month.

My computer is in my living room. My teen is allowed limited access and it's password protected so she can't use it unless I log her on. I have her passwords to her social network sites and I check them once a week or so to see that she doesn't cross the line.

I may sound too controlling, but actually reading some of the things being written really opened my eyes. My daughter was first approached by a pedophile pretending to be a teen when she was 12. She was just too naive, and still is at 15. They think they're invincible and that nothing will ever happen to them.