This Really Happens...What Would You Do in This Situation? Scene 2

A good friend of yours calls to tell you her daughter told her she saw a picture of your daughter kissing a boy at a party. When you ask your daughter about it, she brushes it off, telling you it was a game and everyone was doing it. 

I would strongly suggest you have a pre-emptive conversation with your teen, if you haven’t already, about his/her on-line persona. How does she want to be seen by her peers? She should know that once a picture is out there in cyber-world it cannot be permanently erased..even a 6 second video can be “screen-shot.” A good rule of thumb is, do not post anything you would not want me (the parent) to see. 

In the above scenario it sounds as if someone else probably posted the picture. What do you do then? Obviously your teen has little to no control over what others post on-line about them and one would hope if your teen is at the party with friends they would know not to post a pic like that. Going back to the above idea, your teen should be aware that anything she does in public is open for others to take pics and show the world. 

Another facet of this situation is the show of little concern for openly kissing someone in front of a group of peers. I’m sure we all remember “Spin-the-Bottle.” It seems, at least in my memory, that the kisses then were quick pecks..not quite like the “hooking up” that is happening at today’s parties. Your teen should learn about privacy and knowing when and where it is appropriate to explore this part of their exploration and growing up. 

So what would you do in this situation? As always I welcome your thoughts and questions. 

Important Notice: The information presented above is provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for consulting a psychologist or other mental health professional to discuss your unique situation. If you would like to talk with me about it, you may call my office at 914-329-5355.