With two cell phone-carrying teenagers in our house, it's critical for us as parents to get in their business and know the technology better than--or at least as well as--them. And not just know the technology, but also to know what it is they're saying and to whom.
Listen friends (and by "friends" I mean anyone who sees this post--whether you're a regular reader or landed on this page by a random search)...it's your business to get in their business.
Even if they protest.
Especially if they protest.
I've heard too many stories from friends about good kids who made STUPID mistakes, exercised poor judgment, and under-estimated the consequences of their actions. Sexting is a real problem according to recent news reports. We're talking high school students...teenagers :(.
That's why when BlogHer asked me to take a look at LG's DTXTR website (DEE-text-er} a tool to help equip parents with knowledge, I couldn't say no. And wow...I realized that as much as I do know? There's even more than I don't! Heck, I didn't even know what SMS actually stood for!
DTXTR's features include:
- DTXTR Translator: A cool tool that allows you to translate your tool in to shorter, more hip messages at the push of a button.
- DTXTR Glossary: Thousands of text terms (hundreds gathered from the BlogHer community at this fall’s Reach Out Tour!)
- Do U Know TXT Quiz: Test your texting prowess (say that three times fast...)
- Texting Tips: Everything parents need to know about texting, managing a texting teen, and thinking smart about text plans
The glossary alone was VERY educational; I have no idea how some of the abbreviations were contrived ("420" = get high, let's party; JOOTT = just one of those things, which makes perfect sense once you know), but plenty of the terms make me sad to think teens have reason to use them. Still, I think it's important to know what they are, so if you DO seem them when you are RANDOMLY SPOT-CHECKING YOUR KIDS' TEXTS, you'll understand what they're saying!
{Our children know we might pick up their phone at any time to read through texts; I probably don't do this often enough, but we have a "no erasing til you ask" policy. I'm not so foolish to believe they never erase without asking, but just knowing we "might" look serves as deterrent.}
I took the "Do U Know Txt Quiz" and scored an abysmal four out of ten. Apparently, I don't know as much as I thought I did.
The tips for parents didn't shed any new light for me, but they would've been helpful in the beginning; also, the "teen to English"/visa versa translater wasn't that helpful, but anything I could think of was found in the glossary.
If you have children new to the cell phone world, this site is VERY helpful in bringing YOU up to speed. A great parenting resource, it provides you information to help determine boundaries and limits before they become an issue.
Don't take it lightly, and FWIW? I'd advise against unlimited texting.
BlogHer is giving away FIVE LG phone {click for details} in conjunction with the debut of LG's new DTXTR site--winners are chosen randomly and I think **you** just might be the lucky duck!!
