Research: Elizabeth Perle, editor of HuffPost Teen, responds to parents’ concerns about their children’s use of online social media in her article “5 Myths About Teens and Technology Every Parent Should Ignore.” She compels us to take another look at their online lives and understand them as new platforms for socialization. As parents this world can be intimidating if we are unfamiliar, but she encourages us to empower ourselves to prevent problems before they start by having them teach us about their online community, share how and why they use it, and help understand who they are within it.

Practice: Our students use technology in a variety of ways at Chrysalis. In some classes they are allowed to use it; in others they have to forgo it…just like in real life. We try to teach them when and where it’s appropriate and when and where it’s not. Parents are encouraged to understand their child’s use of social media, to keep an eye on their use, and to instill technology curfews. Check out Karen Fogle’s video on “Keeping Tech in Check” for more detail.