Sexting?

The Today Show this morning had a shocking and sobering story on teens tech use and the sending of nude or semi-nude photos of themselves electronically.

According to the results of a survey released today by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and CosmoGirl.com, 22 percent of all teen girls — and 11 percent of teen girls ages 13-16 years old — say they have electronically sent, or posted online, nude or semi-nude images of themselves.

Teens seem to be unaware or unconcerned of the consequences of sending these images as they can be passed along and posted online without any permission or security.

Another survey reported:

The online survey of 1,280 teens and young adults — done by TRU, a company that conducts research on teens and 20-somethings — indicates that 15 percent of teens who have sent sexually suggestive content such as text messages, e-mail, photographs or video say they have done so with someone they only know online.

The Today Show story suggested talking with your kids about what they are doing in cyberspace, know who they are talking to online, set limitations on their electronic communications, and set expectations about what is and what is not appropriate online.

It’s a brave new world. Stay on top of technology trends so you can be a better, more informed parent.

Plane Crazy

It’s been a long time coming but American Airlines is getting ready to roll out high-speed Internet access on airplanes. All at once it’s a great idea and the second worst thing that could happen to air travel. (We’ll get to the WORST thing a few paragraphs down.)

Personally, I’m excited by the possibilty of being productive on flights - at least until the 3rd or 4th vodka kicks in. I’d love to spend a 3 hour flight answering emails or writing brilliantly engaging blog posts instead of zoning out watching videos on my iPod - at least until the 3rd or 4th vodka kicks in. But while this service is aimed at the business traveller looking for productivity time, we all know that even in business class, you rarely end up surrounded by business travellers. And that’s when the “fun” begins…

Imagine that the person two rows behind you is 17 and was sending text messages on her phone at lightning speed right up until the plane left the ground. 20 minutes later, you’re at cruising altitude, she fires up a laptop, pops up her IM and starts chatting - of course without turning off her sound. Enjoy the melodious tones of AOL for the next 3 hours. And of course the pinging sound of 30 Outlook clients receiving mail all around you.

It could get worse. Both Skype and Internet Phone providers like Vonage now offer USB phones so you can make calls from your laptop. Now imagine that on your red-eye flight back from L.A. to New York.

Which brings me back to the absolute worst thing that could ever happen to air travel: the long-threatened use of mobile phones on airplanes. Think about that guy who cut off 3 lanes of traffic while screaming into his Bluetooth headset. Or the 80 year old woman in front of you on line at the supermarket who can’t stop talking on the phone long enough to pay for her groceries. (And then she writes a check! Why do they still let people write checks at the supermarket! Get a freaking ATM card already!) Now imagine these people are within 5 rows of you on an airplane.

Don’t get me wrong - as I said earlier, I look forward to the benefits of technology following me wherever I go. But it would be a lot more palatable if common courtesy were actually a little more common - at least until the 3rd or 4th vodka kicks in…

The Digital Generation Gap

Why does technology intimidate my parents? They’re both educated and well-read. And they’re certainly not timid. So why can’t they remember how to transfer photos from their digital camera to their PC?

My Dad was always the type of guy who would never back down from doing major home improvement projects himself. He wasn’t afraid of starting up a rented chainsaw or firing up a blow torch. He taught himself how to install a full underground sprinkler system. He built wall units, a bar and all sorts of structures with a few quick sketches and without a moment’s doubt in his own abilities. So why can’t he retrieve voicemail from his mobile phone?

They won’t use their credit card online. When they need to buy plane tickets online, they call me and ask me to do it for them, using my credit card - then they write me a check for the cost. I’m not sure whether they don’t know how to do it - or if they are scared to use a credit card online. If they’re afraid of identity theft, why do they think it’s ok to put mine at risk?

High-speed Internet connection? Not for my folks. Their dial-up AOL account is all they need. And when they get into that slow lane on the Information Superhighway, do you think they know where they’re going or how to get there? Not a chance! When my mom somehow deleted the shortcut to Hotmail, she had no idea how to get there on her own.

I truly thought it was a lost cause until I watched my father play against his grandchildren on a Wii gaming system. He bowled in perfect form and swung a bat like a pro. My sisters and I wondered if this would be an awesome thing to buy him. We could envision him gathering his 70-something golf buddies for Wii tournaments in the clubhouse. But then we realized someone would have to know how to turn it on…