Raising a teen? Here's some advice on your teen's internet usage from the book "How to Survive Your Teenager" (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $13.95), straight from people who've done it:
"I do not censor the internet or any other part of life. My children have very good judgment and quite a bit of wisdom. I discovered that my daughter had been reading erotica on the Web (I had to laugh at this) and I know my son has looked at `those' sorts of pictures. Filtering these things out would just mean that if they wanted to find it they'd have to go elsewhere. It doesn't really keep children from objectionable materials. I firmly believe that growing up involves learning to set your own limits. If a person can't learn how to do that, he will have big trouble in life."
G.B., Los Angeles, parent of a daughter, 21, and son, 14
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"With so many young men in the house, we have strict computer rules and we use filters. The family computer is out in the family room where everyone can see the monitor. We don't allow computers in the bedrooms. We don't allow the computer on if neither Dad nor I are home. We closely monitor the history of Web sites visited and we check over his shoulder when our son is using the Instant Messenger. We have a password to his e-mail and we randomly check his e-mail account."
Cindy Prescher, Redmond, Ore., mother of four sons ages 25, 22, 19 and 15
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"My son is in front of the computer too much, in my opinion. It's tough, because we do not live in a neighborhood where there are kids, and his options are limited for free time. I tried to filter the Internet, but the program I installed caused more problems than ever. Luckily for us, he is into sports more than porn, so the great majority of his time online (to my knowledge) is playing sports games."
Toby Lynn, Atlanta, Ga., parent of a 14-year-old son
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"We did not allow our teens to have computers in their bedrooms. Our family computer sat in the middle of the living room so that they wouldn't be tempted to bring up a picture they wouldn't want others to see. One stepson spent time in a chat room. Although he was just 14, he claimed to be 25 and would be `honored to be the father of your children.' He told the young woman that he was going to Nebraska to visit an aunt the next month, and would meet her there. How did I know what he was doing? I opened the cache in Netscape afterwards...and read every word that he typed.
Diane Evans, Renton, Wash., mother of five sons, ages 30, 28, 26, 26 and 25
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"Computers are part of life now, and not an issue. When she was younger, I had parental controls put on her AOL account and discussed online safety with her. When she was 18, I lifted the controls, confident that she had learned responsible computer use."
Angie Mangino, Staten Island, N.Y., mother to two sons 25 and 27 and a 19-year-old daughter
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"My daughter has a friend she talks to on the internet. they met about a year ago at a state softball tournament. He looks exactly like Harry Potter. His e-mail address is written next to the computer for all to see. There's nothing hidden. We have a laptop on the dining room table. If you write something someone shouldn't see, everyone will see it."
Chip Norton, Washougal, Wash., father of a 13-year-old daughter
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Hundreds of Heads Books' survival guides offer the wisdom of the masses by assembling the experiences and advice of hundreds of people who have gone through life's biggest challenges and have insight to share.
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(c) 2008, Hundreds of Heads Books, Inc.