Tech Savvy Teens And Parents

Raising balanced kids In a hyper-connected world.

- Himshikha Shukla

These days, with smart phones that do it all in addition to computers and tablets, teenagers have round-the-clock access to, well, everyone and everything: texting, Snapchat, YouTube, Twitter, email, friends, foes, strangers and much, much more.

And, let’s face it: we parents often have no idea what our teenagers are up to. These devices are not hanging on our kitchen walls. Teenagers can take them wherever they want—and they do. Of course, there are upsides to all this. Thanks to cell phones, we can reach our teenagers when we need to and, more importantly, they can reach us.

But experts warn that there are pitfalls too. Spending too much time online can mean missing out on sleep or neglecting schoolwork. Social media and teenagers have proven to be a volatile mix. And teenagers sometimes make poor decisions with technology—such as texting while driving or sexting— that can have severe consequences.