Social media and the internet in general can be a very useful way to stay connected – with friends, relatives and even the news (as long as it’s from a reputable source such as the Times).
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It can also be a minefield that can do lifelong damage.
Just this week a nasty photo sharing website offering pornographic images of Australian schoolgirls was back up on line after briefly being shut down by the authorities. Much of its distasteful imagery is sourced from private SMS accounts used by teens or from other social media. The site carried naked images of girls from several South Coast schools.
Teenagers can by nature be reckless, often ignoring the potential consequences of their actions. They are at an age when sexuality is being explored. They can be carried away in a flush of hormones and romantic excitement.
The trouble occurs when digital evidence of that sexual exploration is left behind to be shared by vengeful ex-partners and their thoughtless mates. A picture taken and shared in a heated moment of excitement can have lasting consequences – shame, embarrassment, social isolation among them.
Those of us who grew up in the pre-digital age were lucky in at least one respect. We may have indulged in the same type of teen antics but technology did not give us the means to record it all. The shenanigans on the beach were unlikely to come back to bite us in the most destructive way.
The fact Sergeant Greg Churchill has cautioned four young people for sharing graphic content shows our community is not immune from the perils of unsupervised internet and social media use by teenagers.
His warning is one all parents should heed and convey to their children. The message cannot be clearer: what goes on the internet stays on the internet.
Not only can reputations and self-esteem be damaged, which is scary enough, but the thought that perverse old men could be casting their scaly eyes over the images is utterly terrifying.
It may be confronting, it may be seen as intrusive, it may lead to arguments across the dinner table, there may be tears but it is a conversation that needs to take place.
Parental vigilance and supervision now might just prevent a whole load of heartache later. It might also instill internet commonsense that will be useful for years to come.
