More Social Parenting

I continue to follow the comings and goings of several teenagers on various Social Networks. For the most part, I've grown numb to their youthful rants and misdeeds but occasionally I'm stopped in my tracks by a Tweet or Facebook post. This one from New Years Eve caught me off guard and struck a distasteful cord.

What exactly was the 17 year female hoping to accomplish with this declaration? Sometimes it is easy to become wrapped up in the mob mentality around a 'viral' Twitter hashtag and trending topic, many of them are in fact, hilarious! When the trending topics have faded the works is left with commentary related to you, an action or opinion which may not be so hilarious when taken out of context of a 'trending' topic.

Ironically, college admission directors or employers have no way of knowing 'if it's real'.

Connected and Changing the World....one tweet at a time

If you have ever wondered why we need Facebook and Twitter or why some prefer one over the other, for me the answer is simple and played out tonight on Twitter. It's true I go to Facebook to enjoy the holiday pictures of your kids building snowmen but tonight's Kanye West speech on Twitter (or as I call it the Kanye experience) was truly EPIC! For me as a Social/Digital Media professional working at the GRAMMYs, tonight was the very best of how each serves a different purpose and how we are connected like never before.

We, not me or you alone - but we have the ability to connect, agree, disagree and use our collective energies to change the world.

Regardless of what you I think of Kanye, he picked the correct platform - Twitter to seize the moment and declare his desire to change the world. Not to worry if it works, he will build a Facebook community to gather the collective energies...but experiencing the Kanye "speech or come to Jesus moment" in real-time on twitter was magical. 

https://twitter.com/#!/kanyewest 

 

Social Parenting - a reason to connect!

The last 40 years have seen a number of major achievements for African Americans. The idea in my lifetime that we have gone from marching to achieve civil rights to having a bi-racial President of the United States of America is reason alone to rejoice. The little known Senator from Illinois used Social Media to increase his popularity and spread his message of "hope and change". He engaged a army of young, socially connected young people.

The irony of this tweet from a young African American, in a public Twitter timeline in 2011 is not lost on me. I'm wonder about the "struggles" of the parents. What have they endured to provide a better life for their child. I wonder if the author of the tweet knows her history? There are so many issues which we as a country, let alone as a people, need to address to insure our collective success - there simply is no place for self hate! In my opinion, self hate is the source of this tweet.

Social Parenting - a reason to connect!

The behavior which was once only talked about in the corner of boys locker room in hushed tones is now syndicated on the inter-webs and social networks for all to see. The only saving grace is he didn't name check the girl!

Social Parenting - a reason to connect!

I have been preaching to parents for more than 2 years about why they need to "at least" understand how Facebook and Twitter work because their children do! The typical response of those parents is "I'm do busy for that nonsense or they are too busy managing their "own" online social life to notice/care/or be concerned with what their children are doing. I've even had some dismiss my concerns because they think I'm being overly dramatic or that I'm not qualified to speak about the "parenting" process because I'm not a parent myself. Sadly I know that the child-birthing process alone is not the ideal credential for being a good parent.

For more than 6 months I have been following a several young people on twitter. These young people appear to be in the 15 to 24 year old range. I randomly dropping into their "public" Twitter timelines to read their tweets - one 17yr old girl is particularly disturbing to me. She has posted about parties, her desire for sex partners, need for drugs, lack of attention in school and even cheating on homework/tests. Additionally, I have watched "adult" women pursue college age athletes and attempt to engage with with provocative photos and language.

This is a tweet from a 17 year referring to a conversation she had with her mom. Somehow I don't think her mom would have recalled the chat this way.

As an experienced Social Media professional, my advice to parents - the stakes have never been higher to protect your children and the young people in your life. Facebook and Twitter may not be "your" thing and you may "think" you are too busy but their futures depend on you invest some time in a "lean forward" moment. Get connected, if not for you...for them!