Decisions

OK, so you feel you are grown-up enough to make decisions about what you do online.  You want to be popular, so you like having lots of friends on social media.  You may post silly or outrageous things to more and more “likes”.   “Friends” may invite you to another platform so you can ‘talk’ more easily or privately. 

How well do you know those “friends”?  Do you accept them without knowing anything about them?  What are you willing to do and how far will you go to get more “likes”?  How many accounts and apps are you willing to have?

Think about this:  if you were standing in front of a live crowd, would you still do that act that you so easily post without a second thought?  If your family members or people you don’t know are watching, would you still do in person what you would post online?  The same goes for texting. 

These are some of the decisions that you face in today’s world of peer pressure and social media.  Whatever we send out either by text or social media, can be saved, re-sent, or re-posted by others.  What if out there cannot be taken back.  It’s too late. 

So, let’s talk about how to make better, more informed decisions.  There are ways to still have fun, true friends, and be silly, but stay safe, or as safe as possible online.  Check out the link below for tips.

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2024-09/24_09_20_K2P_Top-10-Tips2Protect-for-Teens.pdf