Tweens and the Instant Messaging Craze By Mary B. Braun
Today’s “tweens” have a rich online life that fits right into the habits of being a preteen – talk, talk, talk. These kids are hanging out with their friends – on their computers rather than gathered in their homes. They’re bonding via computer-based conversations on clothes, boys, and school – the age-old concerns of a typical adolescence.
According to Pew Internet and American Life, 74% of online American kids ages 12-17 years instant message (IM), or “chat” with one another online. As with other media and teenage habits, IM has its good points and bad points. If used responsibly, it can be a safe and fun means of communication. If abused, it can be damaging to children and adults alike. By learning how to monitor and regulate your childrens’ use of IM, you can teach valuable lessons in responsibility and manners – lessons that can carry through to other aspects of their lives.
Admit it: we as parents are often clueless when it comes to what kids actually do online. Most parents couldn’t follow an online IM conversation. Check it out, see how you do:
“Mom sez hw.g2g.ttyl.” Translated, that’s: “Mom says [do] homework. Got to go. Talk to you later.”
Author Mary B. Braun suggests that moms embrace Instant Messaging and learn to “talk the talk” when it comes to their kids’ use of this way of communicating. In her book, “Moms’ Survival Guide to Instant Messaging,” Braun lightheartedly provides easy and practical tips to enable moms to learn the technology that is changing the way kids relate to one another.
The survival guide is a modern moms handbook to understanding their childrens’ fascination with IM. With topics such as “Screen the Screen Names” and “Profile the Profiles,” the book provides moms with simple techniques to ensure that their kids are Instant Messaging (IM) responsibly.
You may also be surprised by the way your kids portray themselves in chat rooms and the risks they take with their online habits and buddies. The last thing you want to do is to make your child take her IM into hiding. How can parents obtain cooperation on IM without being overbearing or alienating their children -- while still monitoring and protecting them?
Braun suggests: that parents don’t overreact to their children’s use of IM, but rather arm themselves with knowledge. “Communication in the virtual world will become integrated into their lives whether we like it or not. We as moms need to help them through this!”
Moms are also encouraged to network via the website or to set up local chapters of "Messaging Moms" who support one another. As children age into teenagers and the world of IM evolves, discussing situations with other moms can be insightful and therapeutic.
Your best move might be to admit you have a lot to learn, swallow your pride, and dive in to decipher the world of IM. Afterall, if you can’t beat ‘em; join ‘em.
gtg ttyl
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mary B. Braun earned her IM parenting stripes as the mother of two middle school girls, living in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. She also holds an MBA and works as a strategist at a major corporation.
RESOURCE GUIDE: The quick-witted Moms' Survival Guide to Instant Messaging is a fun, quick read. At only 72-pages, it’s perfect for busy women. It retails for $8.95 and is available for purchase at www.Amazon.com
