Last Sunday, I had the privilege once again to speak with parents about technology and it’s power over our children.  A parent in the crowd drew my attention to this app: the After School App.  Another day, another destructive app lurking around the internet waiting for download to your child’s device.

Here it is folks.  The latest and greatest (or worst) app, After School.  As the article linked above says, this app is used for anonymous bullying and impersonation. Parents, teachers, and administrators do not have access to the app, because you must be a student to have an account (the accounts are grouped by school).

As we all know, times are changing so quickly.  The information we share regarding technology becomes obsolete before most parents can find it in the app store.  Yet, as parents, it is our obligation to know.  I hear parents say all the time, “I don’t understand technology…my child knows so much more than I know”…that simply isn’t good enough.  We are placing devices in the hands of our children that have the power to drastically alter their lives.  I believe we have two options: either educate yourself OR don’t give them the device.

Don’t let social media and technology be things that you don’t care about until there has been a violation against you or your family.

I almost laughed out loud because several years ago when I started doing presentations for parents simply because if you don’t operate in a world like mine…how would you know all the slang terminology and the temptations and difficulties facing our teens?  We at CareNet focus on those things 8 hours a day and it is still work to keep up, but I am amazed at how much and how quickly things have changed.  Do you remember the “sex bracelets”?  That was one of the things we covered in the original parent talk and now we are talking about snapchat, Instagram, musical.ly, Yik Yak, and now, After School.  Times they are a changin’.

But, can I just add that I believe every word that the Bible says about our children…they were born for such a time as this and they are more than conquerors…BUT we DO want them to be different, and if we want them to be different we have to parent differently.  We can’t just keep looking to the parents at our right and left to see how they are parenting and then copy their parenting style.  Be okay with being different.  Be the influence.  Is it time to put down the phone?

My love,