So, wouldn’t it be nice if teenagers themselves do some talking with their counterparts and offer tips from their own perspective? Priyank Nangalia just did that in this post. Below you will find another one, so lucidly written by a Guam based 17 year old teenager Chloe Babauta who is the daughter of Leo Babauta – owner of the ever so popular Zenhabits website.

I am sure you all agree that the Internet with all its popular apps like Facebook, Youtube,Twitter,Orkut etc. along with all the latest gizmo’s is the No.1 distraction in the life of any Digital Citizen. It’s as if everyone is getting lost in the info-maze. For adults it takes a toll on their work efficiency and productivity and for children  it often contributes to low concentration levels and ever falling grades at schools and colleges. This is where Chloe guides her peers and offers helpful pointers to enjoy the best of both worlds – online and offline. Heres the post……..

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With all the distractions we’re presented with from the Internet and other forms of media these days, it can be very difficult for teens to focus on schoolwork.
It is so convenient to tweet what you’re doing, text your friends, watch Davedays on YouTube, or to do an infinite number of things when you’re supposed to be researching for an essay.
I’ll admit that just during the time it took to write this post, I’ve taken several breaks just to go on Facebook to see what everyone’s up to. Don’t worry – everyone will still be there after you’re done doing your work, so close Firefox/Chrome/Safari and get down to business.

Here are a few ways to increase your productivity and try to break away from distractions:

1. Turn off your wireless/Internet connection.

I know, it sounds crazy to deliberately cut off your connection to the outside world, but just do it. It eliminates your ability to easily open up your Internet browser and will help you to focus on what you really should be doing.

A 2.5 Year-Old Has A First Encounter with An iPad

I decided to post his article, ditto(without changing syntax errors or disputing supposed facts and stories- I have added some links though), as it appeared in their newsletter with permission. For the already cyber-initiated this article may appear routine stuff, but then we all know that…………….

……..Children and Teens constitute the largest Internet user segment.

……..It’s Teenagers who have been the driving force behind the huge success of Social Networking sites.

……..It is this segment which usually falls prey to the bad guys lurking on the Internet…the cyber-villains.

In the real world we have Highways with real dangers of crashing and mugging……well there is a stranger danger on the ‘Info-Highway‘ too!!

The article below does not cite the sources of stated facts or surveys and the reader should not take it as some reference source…rather read deeper into what Priyank Nangalia wants to share with his peers. Here’s the article…..

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Ill Effects of Usage of Internet

Hello friends, I am here today writing this article in order to perform the duty of being a responsible citizen and a reader of course.

This article is mainly going to talk about usage of Internet in our day to day life. We all know that Internet has formed a great part of our life. Now, more than television people are addicted to surfing on the Internet. And can you imagine, according to a survey most of the surfing is done by the children between the ages 10-20 years. Now this is shocking, isn’t it? You know, I too am a great lover of Internet. I can’t live without it even for a week. But still, we need to be extra careful while using Internet.

I know, many of you might be using net to complete your projects or play some games or download songs and movies but I am very that many of you might be using Internet to stay in touch with your friends and relatives, right?

Many of you might be having an account on Yahoo,Gmail,Hotmail,Hi5 or even Orkut and Facebook.

You know yahoo,Gmail and Hotmail are one of the safest sites where you don’t have much fear of your Id’s getting hacked. But all the risks turn up with Orkut and Facebook. Yup, one of the most insecure social networking sites. And I am very sure, to show yourselves as COOL, you might be definitely having an account in Orkut or Facebook, or even both.

Guys, if you really want to stay in touch with your family through Internet then you can have your Id’s made in Yahoo,Gmail or  Hotmail because for creating an account on other social networking sites you first need to have an ID made on anyone of these three(Yahoo,Gmail,Hotmail).

I am not saying that avoid these sites totally, but then to an extent try to do it. Because it is something which will in the end leave you totally ruined if you don’t give up its addiction. You might be knowing that Facebook has turned 5 years recently with 175 million users and out of them 25 millions are Indians. The addiction of Internet is mainly seen in Indians, especially teens.

I will tell you an incident which took place with my sister, her account on Facebook has hacked, she was totally helpless and confused, moreover  her account was filled with filthy and rubbish things and after a few weeks, Bam!! Our every file and document was wiped off by a virus which entered in our computer through Internet through Facebook.

We lost our every single file. Our desktop was totally blank, isn’t this scary?

Moreover, recently only a news channel was highlighting a story where a 14 year old girl was forced to take drugs. The report said that she had an account on Orkut, once she got an invitation of an unknown person in her account, she visited the person’s to account and predicted that the person was quite decent. After chatting for a few months, they both decided to meet. After reaching the decided place the girl was shocked to see that the person was actually a 60 year old man, he had kept false images in his profile and when the girl realized it the man beat her very badly as the place decided was a quite one, after that the girl was forcibly given drugs, now this is what is CYBER CRIME. You might be thinking that the girl was a fool who went and met the guy, but then a time will come when you will fall in the same trap.

Now days, even the Mumbai police are visiting many schools to make the young minds realize about these malpractices.

So, at last, lets be a safe surfer. There is no problem in having an account on social networking sites, but then all you have to do is be AWARE and PROTECTIVE. Never add strangers in your account, always tell your parents about every single thing which happens with you on these sites.

So Best of Luck!!….and Keep On Going Buddies!! –Priyank Nangalia

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If you liked reading this post, then please forward the link to your contacts or you may put your message across to Priyank in the comments section.

As we all know, parenting has never been easy – in fact, it is one of the most challenging  jobs in the world. This workshop taught me, how we as parents, can lighten this load and make this daily chore, the most enjoyable, creative and fun part of our lives.

These concepts and techniques are so powerful, that I knew, I had to share this with my readers. These, esp. apply to parents, who have children up to the age of 12  i.e. pre-teens(though not all-inclusive). This is an age group where the foundations are laid and that which actually determines, how your kids life shapes up. In short, the clay is ready to be moulded and given the best and ideal shape.

All parents were asked to come up with a list of problems they faced daily while raising their kids. We had a lot of proactive parents among the audience and these are some of the problems they faced:

1. Restlessness  2. Anger  3. Lack of Concentration  4. Laziness   5. Wrong Food Habits  6. Lying  7.Excessive TV Watching  8. Non-Sharing  9. Sibling Rivalry  10. Fear and …….quite a few others.

Our attention was drawn towards some of the  characteristics of children, which we so often miss to notice. These are:

• Children always make themselves feel Comfortable in any Environment or Situation…..unlike Adults.
• Children are the Most Happiest by their Nature.
• Children are the Most Intelligent …though we often underestimate their Intelligence.
• Whatever Children do, there is always a Logic behind it….not necessarily an adults logic, but strong enough to make one think differently,creatively and away from routine thinking.
• Children by nature are Daring….Fear seeps in them from their immediate environment(often reinforced again and again….most of the time by parents themselves).

Parents need to educate their children without putting fear in their minds…..

……..and Do you know, what makes all these characteristics come alive?? …..thats because…….

“Children Always Live in the Present Moment”

We were told about 3 F’s while dealing with kids:

1. Firmness (in your approach towards them)
2. Fairness (in your dealing…remember no different rule-sets for them vis-a-vis siblings/peers/yourself)
3. Fun (make the entire process)

………now, for some small but significant piece of statistics. Do you know how many “DON’Ts” (Don’t do this/Don’t do that) does a child hear everyday?……any guesses……

I am told, a whooping 625 times in a day  , thats, 625 X 365 = 228,125 per year multiplied by your child’s age.

An interesting thing came up during a discussion. “Kids love both parents…but more towards a parent(mom/dad) who says “NO” less often…….any wonder your child prefers cozying up to a friendly(or is it ever-obliging?) aunt or uncle most of the time? Sadly, these strings of “Dont’s” sometimes contributes in making the child an Introvert. Some of the other ‘symptoms’ of these constant don’ts are that a child will completely stop listening to you, he may back answer, get adamant, he may stop sharing -thoughts/ideas- and ultimately his communication skills may take a dip.

………the Secret to reverse this “trend” is  to creatively convert your “Don’t Do” lists into “Can this be Done instead?” list. You need to work on your conversion list guys esp. mothers who complain that all day long, kids cling to them and as soon as ‘papa dearest’ comes back home from work…they forget their mum.

We were given a 5-point formula, which I shall touch upon briefly (You need to be there to absorb and understand these Gems)

1. Positive – Be Positive under all situations – this needs a Daily Conscious effort and becomes a Habit with Practice. Easier said than Done, but worth all the efforts put in.
2. Exercise – Children are more energetic than Adults, simply because they use 90% of their lung capacity, compared to 30-40% used by adults. When this energy is not channelised properly, all the problems listed in the beginning of this post, starts to appear, esp. Restlessness and Laziness(which is another form of Restlessness). Children are more aligned with nature. This can be seen in their food habits – they eat only when they need and in whatever quantity they need to eat. Exercise is a great channeliser of Energy, but remember – you have to not only initiate it….but also do it along with them…Children don’t just like to take instructions…you know
3. Ask Questions – (This point really hit the nail on the head for me – an “Aha” moment) – I was plain shocked to learn that, answering or avoiding their Queries (read curiosities)is really harmful for them. Avoiding is understood, but Answering??? – Bam!!! — that hit me real hard  I came to know that by answering his/her queries every time, you satisfy their curiosity, but put the lid on any further probing or alternate thinking. In fact, you should ask them a counter-question: “What do you think…..?” Doing so leads to the following: a)You give back his/her Learning Responsibility b)You encourage Independent Thinking c) You equip your child to think clearly – both towards the positive and negative  and finally the big,big bonus d)You get an opportunity to peep into their mind – if s/he is really Imaginative-…….as Albert Einstein rightly said “IMAGINATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EDUCATION”.
4. Creative – Encourage Creativity in them. We did a nice exercise to prove this point. Art is an expression of Creativity and Creativity comes from randomness…..a scribble on a piece of paper or wall…would be just that….a scribble for you…..but for your child…..nothing less than a Master-Piece…..think about it.
5. Ears – If there is anything your child desperately craves for- then it is your “Ears”…he wants you to listen to him…truly listen to him….put everything aside…..be with them….their talk may set you thinking and challenge you.

In Conclusion: I may have missed certain things intentionally or unintentionally. I haven’t included the fun/insightful exercises that we were asked to do. The Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating, isn’t it? I highly recommend you to inquire and sign-up for the workshop at your local chapters. The workshop I attended was beautifully designed and presented by an Art of Living teacher couple. I am sure it will bring some “Aha” and “Wow” moments for you too.

If you liked reading this post and found Value in it, then I strongly urge you to pass on the link or information to your friends, who might benefit from it. And yes…as usual…do leave your comments below….I would love to hear from you.

Defeat: Of late, I have been teaching my 8-year old son(Dodo – one among his many pet names-he has a soft corner for the extinct bird) to play chess. After ensuring that he understood the rules well, we started playing some friendly matches. I ‘defeated’ him many times and he would take the results sportingly, initially and later on with a lot of disappointment. Yesterday, I deliberately lost a match to him. As I started making one ‘silly mistake’ after another, I could see his face brightening up and finally when my king was cornered, he yelled-out “Check-Mate”. He was ecstatic and punching in the air and I was so Happy to see him. Savoured that moment of Defeat every bit

Victory: We have been celebrating his every small achievements at school or extra-curricular activities. Today, back from school, he called me up(I was in my office) as soon as he reached home to inform me that he won a prize for being neatly dressed at school. We are going to celebrate this small Victory as well. I asked him what he wanted. He asked me to get his favourite comic book. Tonight I am going to read out a story to him, by the bedside.

We have many such stories of defeat and victories. Why don’t you share yours in the comment section below.

No….He is my co-passenger. A Commoner. We commute by a local Mumbai train everyday to our respective workplaces. He is 53 years old(rather young). Hasmukhbhai is a religious and straight forward person.

Why I chose to interview him?… Simply because in my opinion he is an ideal father who has successfully raised his 2 children- son(22) and a daughter(20). He and his wife(she is a housewife) have given them the right values, education and direction in life. His views on parent-child relationships is what led me to interview him, more so ever He uses technology to keep in touch with his son. So we have a strong Techno-PD case here… which is the theme of this site. I sincerely believe and hope that this post could benefit my readers and they get some good insights. If you have benefited or enjoyed reading this interview, then kindly leave your comments at the end of this article.

Interview follows:

Q: How did you handle Physical Security(well-being – getting into bad company,lying, not respecting elders etc.) and Financial Security(unable to provide for their higher education and other needs) concerns towards your children?

A: As for Physical Security, every time we as parents sat down to interact with our children, we used to tell them that we Trust both of you completely and there is no need to hide anything from us. We put in their minds the concept of ‘Truth’ in simple ways that they could understand, often with stories from our Jain and other religions. A few months back when my son was studying in Pune, away from home..I simply gave him my add-on credit/debit card…i knew he wouldn’t misuse it.During their school days…we used to just sit besides them and go through their school calendar to check if they needed anything back at school. We would let them study on their own and would help only if required. Way back It was clear to us that we are just providers.Both my children are made of stern stuff. This reflected when my son assured me that he would take care of himself in the US. They also had very good friends during their growing up years. See… we have struggled a lot to bring them up in life. It was like watering a plant daily, tending to it and watch it grow. The secret is not to ignore this plant even for a single day …so that it does not become prey for predators or the vagaries of life. We even took care not to over-protect them. Now, when we look back at life..sometimes we cannot hold back our tears.

Reg. Financial security, I had read about the cost of higher education in India…but it hit home hard when my son told me about his plans of pursuing higher education in the US. Since I wasn’t really prepared for it..I had my own share of tension..but later made up my mind that no matter what I have to provide my children whatever is needed so that they get the best. Moreover I had this habit from their early childhood of giving them a firm and final reply in YES or NO, after considering and understanding the facts from them. My son had already started preparing for his GRE exam and it was upto me to see that he concentrated on his studies while I worked in the background to arrange for the finances. I tried to get as much information from all sources, tried finding out what other parents were doing in a similar situation. Before applying for his admission, we approached some private educational consultants. In short, I made it a point to meet a lot of people to ascertain how much finances I need to provide overall.Here I must warn all parents that they should be very careful about the fine prints while signing any document related to loans or for that matter even admission forms. It usually has hidden costs and clauses. Also beware of unscrupulous consultants. Some just charge hefty fees for providing information and make you run around for all the important work. Be clear on terms and conditions before you pay up. I must also give credit to my son… for he too made efforts to get as much information as possible. Meanwhile I was just pushing him to concentrate on his academics and forget from where the money would come.

Q: So, looking at the whooping cost (thousands of dollars) of education abroad, didn’t you try to convince him to study in India so that it would work out still cheaper?

A: We had a discussion around that as well and weighed all pros and cons. We found that the advantage was clearly in studying in US in terms of exposure,weightage and lots of choices(subject-wise). No doubt we were paying almost double the money that we would have paid here. Moreover, considering the pros he was very firm on studying abroad….see… you cannot break your children’s heart over these issues….this… I was clear about. I can’t see him sad for compromising on things he wants from his heart. Now since all money-matters are taken care of, I feel my responsibilities towards him are over. It’s up-to him….how he takes it forward from here and shapes his life. Rest assured as always…I will still be around for him. He realizes this and told me recently that he won’t come back during his vacations, rather was keen on working as an intern and earn some money to support himself. Now he is in the drivers seat

Q: So, if this same financial crunch comes when your daughter goes for higher studies…. ???

A: I am now fully confident of handling anything….ask and it shall be provided. I just tell her to stick to her schedules and concentrate on her studies like her brother. One thing is clear, children just need to understand their responsibilities (studying sincerely and being transparent with their parents). Don’t pressurize them….rather give them their space. See….whatever financial decisions you take has got to be a smart decision. I realized this when my daughter actually was considering MBBS. When we discussed this and the cost implications for doing a specialization it would have been a very big financial burden. So taking all things into consideration, she settled for physiotherapy. This was not a compromise but a wise decision. Moreover we never discussed financial crisis with our children..just made them realize about other opportunities in a similar stream which could work out well for everyone…..a Win-Win situation in the family.

Q: Didn’t you make provisions for your children, right from the days they were young?

A: No, I didn’t. I didn’t realize that one day I would have to confront this situation. No parent knows what their kids would demand when they grow up. But I had my own house…I could raise enough money by mortgaging it or go for an educational loan. When I bought the house I was clear that this is an investment for my children.

Q: So when did they actually understand their responsibilities….

A: When they stepped out of school and joined college… My son was clear headed on his path…he wanted to do BSc..Pharmacy..and since then he has been a ranker every year.

Q:Did you find it easy to get in touch with your son over Skype? Where you intimidated by technology?

A: I don’t use it much but my wife and daughter are comfortable handling it. Happy to see how technology helps in reducing costs and connecting face-to-face.

Q: Did you in anyway and anytime force your decisions on your children? Do you believe parents should use the stick to discipline children? Yes or No? Why?

A:I never did that and I believe that no parent should use the stick. But my wife used too….no two individuals are the same you see Children have a right to play mischief..and don’t you dare take that right from them. The Thumb Rule is…don’t irritate children to the point that they start disobeying you directly and throwing up a tantrum. I have myself maintained a disciplined life and always stuck to my schedule. My kids have observed all this and that too without preaching them anything about discipline or time-management. I was there with them, when they were learning cycling and swimming. I never forced them to try hard..just gave them enough time to overcome their initial fears. I have never touched liquor in my life. I know the consequences …direct and indirect…that plays on children’s mind when they see their dads come home drunk. Children are smart..they learn by observing.

Q: What is your opinion on the rapidly changing technology. How should parents adapt to it?

A: Yes..it is growing rapidly. Parents just need to learn the basics of securely using these. Rest leave to professional help. To be curt, don’t waste time below the desk with a screw-driver Moreover, don’t make the mistake of jumping in to get the latest in technology. Identify what you need and what your money can buy best. But be open and receptive to whatever new emerges everyday.

Q: So at this stage of your life, do you consider yourself, a successful parent?

A: Success is a relative term…there is a long way to go. We can’t go and beat our chests….that yes, we are successful parents..because life is so uncertain…we have to just be positive, do the right and smart things and be hopeful about the future. No one knows what is written in ones Karma(Destiny). We are just playing our role as and when we take centre stage. There is no ego or hang-ups..but we should celebrate such small victories all along the way.

Q: Your views on the recent spate of suicides committed by students all over Maharashtra?

A: All these incidents depend on circumstances. It is hard to fathom what goes on in the minds of our teenagers. Why do they need to take such a drastic step? Parents should console and encourage their kids even if they score low in their exam. The encouraging line should always be…. “Good – at least you have put in your efforts..there is always a next time” Always motivate them. Please don’t build even an ounce of pressure(to perform well) on them. Because you don’t know what they are going to achieve(every kid has that potential) tomorrow..I have gone through all this..so I know better. Just tell them “We know you can do it”.

Q:Thanks Hasmukbhai for your time. So “ALL IZ WELL”  in your life?

A: We saw this movie(referring to the film 3 Idiots – based on living a passionate life) …only recently, but me and my wife have been practicing the theme of this movie since a long long time. Yes…..‘All iz Well” (laughs)

P.S: Hasmukhbhai has just got a visa to US and planning to join and celebrate his son’s success.

Parting Notes:

You may or may not agree with his views…but hopefully all readers get to take something valuable out of this interview. I welcome you to share your views and experiences as well. If you liked this interview, you may forward or tweet it(tools below)

Mr. Hasmukhbhai and his wife made it a point to regularly spend time with their children while they were growing up and constantly reposed Trust in them at the same time teaching important Values and Principles of Life. He made a very valid comment at the end of the interview. He said ” We as parents know that when we are doing all the righteous things in life and with sincerity and honesty, then there is no need to worry about physical or financial security. Everything would fall in place.. a Higher Source would ensure that“.

The above statement is actually my tag-line for the online and offline initiative of my Secure Childhood project.

One thing we all agree, that with every generation, human beings evolve as a smarter and intelligent specie. Such evolution brings along challenges of its own. And parenting is one of those challenges thrown up by life.

A lot has been written,counseled and dissected about this topic. What we usually term as a generation gap, looks even wider as far as understanding the nuances of technology goes vis-a-vis parent-child relationships. Rapidly changing technology adds to the dilemma and makes the gap look even broader. I have had parents telling me how handicapped they feel keeping pace with their teenagers while using and understanding computers. Students too, in their interaction with me have complained how their parents aren’t tech-savvy and why they prefer not to discuss jargons with them.

My experience, unfortunately shows, that this gap isn’t limited only to tech related stuff. It is also true about non-techie things. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if efforts are made to bridge the gaps in all aspects? Secure Childhood is not just about the technical aspects, its also about efforts to create a warm, loving and trustworthy environment between parents and children.

As I write this, I am reminded of an article written by Steve Pavlina. In brief this is what the article says:

• We as adults make a lot of mistakes and take wrong decisions not only as parents but also as human-beings. The results of these mistakes shows up later in life especially when your kids become teens and situations creating a lot of conflict and stress between parent-child arise.
• Steve goes on to give some advice on how to handle the situation of being trapped as a teenager by your own parents failings. The advice given by him is:

1. Accept the Truth of your situation

2. Take responsibility and exercise your personal authority

3. Communicate your desires and don’t complain

4. See the true intelligence of your parents.

5. Adopt substitute parents ( similar to the advice given by Robert Kiyosaki in his book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad)

6. Recognise that your parents are still right sometimes.

You can read the entire article “Smarter than your Parents” here

In conclusion, I would like to say that Parents are still the most wonderful people we have in our lives, even with their fallacies. They truly care about you even though they may be ignorant about certain things in life.  The collective experiential wisdom gathered by them over their life-time can truly guard children from vulnerabilities – both online and offline.

If you appreciate the views expressed above, then I encourage you to kindly add your comments at the bottom of this post. I would love to hear from you and have an engaging dialogue with my readers.

Not only is the reputation of the IIMs in the doldrums but students face loss of a precious year. IIMs failure to transition from paper-based system to the online system has left everyone doubting all such initiatives in the educational field. There are a few questions which needs to be asked:

• What precautions were taken to prevent possible server crash considering close to 2 lakh participants(though in batches and over a few days) were to take the exam?
• The Institute puts the blame on viruses, but isn’t viruses/malware, too familiar a risk to be ignored?
• Wasn’t it expected of a premier institute to foresee such risks and take precautionary steps?

I believe, exposing such a big student community to such a “trauma’ is a serious crime. They would surely have done a dry-run before launching the system. Questions needs to be asked about the ability of the administrator of the online exam (a reputed firm) to conduct examinations on such a large scale.

Noted Cyber expert Na. Vijayashankar has this to say:

“The technology used was primitive in the sense that the entire paper was to be downloaded to the local machine and it was not “Really online”. Ideally, each question should have been downloaded in real time from a network of distributed servers, dynamically balanced for data traffic congestions along with an algorithm which manages the question paper pattern. At the end of each question, the answer should have flown back into the server and triggered the next question download. On the other-hand it is stated that in the current system, the entire question paper was downloaded and re-uploaded after the answer. When the server crashed in the meantime, the entire work was lost. This system also meant that the entire question paper resided in the local cache memory and was amenable for copying.”

A confused student commented:

“Could not complete the exam… I clicked on review… end of the review exited my test. my test ended in 5 mins. I was shocked to see i have completed my exam in 5 min.. no one could help me. Such a painful situation, because of issues i could not complete once in year exam.”

It’s Time for parents to pressurise the authorities and make them answerable.

It’s Time for public-spirited lawyers and parent-child advocates to invoke judicial intervention.

And it’s Time for the Government to wake up and bell the CAT

The simplest way is to click on the history button of the web browser. There are some good Parental Control software’s available which have excellent features. They have the ability to directly mail you browsing and other related reports. They can alert you and let you take proactive measures. You get to know what they are surfing and which sites they are visiting. Reviewing of browsing history is just one part of the monitoring process. There are many others. Don’t get overwhelmed. Try to educate yourself as much and whenever possible. Or take help of experts who can guide you with the technical aspects of monitoring. But let me remind you once again, it is Trust which is supreme.

Enter the Internet age and welcome to the world of Social networking sites.

Some of the most popular social networking sites are Facebook, Orkut, MySpace and Twitter.

Advantages of Social Networking:

These sites are an easy way for anyone to reach out to their friends and family irrespective of the geographic location. It also helps to reunite lost friends-classmates. Its also a great way to connect to like minded people and to learn and share knowledge. Imagine having your own group on a particular topic and exchanging wonderful ideas which may lead to bigger and beautiful things.

Every individual need their own space in life. These sites provide that space and I believe this is one big reason why they are so popular.

Facebook today is so popular just because it provides the space to write about you, share not only your thoughts but also your photos, music, anything. It has some cool functionality too!

Similarly Twitter too is becoming one of the most popular tools. Can you imagine how so many people are taking advantage of this tool to improve their business prospects.

One of the greatest achievements of these sites is that they attract people of all personalities. Extroverts and Introverts both use these in their own unique way. Needless to say many people visit these sites just to kill boredom.

I would like to emphasis that all is not bad with networking sites. Students use it for their technological skills, creativity and receptiveness to diverse views and communication skills.

Black sheep’s can be found here too…

Can you get scammed and lose money when you rely on social network sites to connect with friends ? Unfortunately the answer is yes.

Fraudsters and criminals are always looking for the weakest link that can help them get access to your wallet. What is interesting about social networks is that it doesn’t matter that you protect your own passwords, use the latest and greatest anti-virus. If any of your social network friends make a mistake and lose their Facebook or MySpace password, now your private information is exposed to a stranger or maybe even a criminal.

Lack of privacy and authenticity is one of the major drawbacks. You might have heard about how celebrity fake sites are created. The chances of meeting wrong people who fake their background is very high. This can lead to a great deal of emotional turmoil for our youth.

Another aspect is use of abusive language and obscene images. Also some users misuse this platform to create hatred among groups or against certain sections of the community. Bad mouthing or spoiling a rivals reputation is very common on these sites. The greatest danger is when these websites become an addiction, when a lot of time is spent online, thereby neglecting important concerns such as academics.

Parents should understand that networking sites are a great tool to connect to the world but they have their share of negative things too. So anything is moderation is good. I know that it is not always possible to accompany your children while they go to these sites..neither is a total ban called for. Spending time socializing online cuts into time we’d otherwise spend dealing with each other in person — and that cutting down on real face-to-face human contact has health consequences What parents can do is to be in the loop of their child’s habits and communicate the right values to them on a regular basis. Teachers and School authorities have a similar role to play. Don’t deny these things to your children, but think of ways and means by which they could use these wonderful tools to learn more – more of technology, more of the world. Let them grow creatively.

All that said, I’m a strong believer in the value of social networks and the hundreds of millions of people accessing them cannot be wrong: the power of sharing information online is really here to stay and we have only seen the beginning of this social fabric that we are building on top of the Internet.

I also invite my readers to this article written by Steve Pavlina on this topic. (I have been following Steve for more than a year now and he was the first guy responsible for  my first steps towards Personal Growth and Development) Hope you enjoy reading it http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2009/11/social-networking-rethinking-productivity/