No one wants
his or her child to experience cyberbullying. No one.
But, how often do
we stop and think about the possibility that our son or daughter might engage
in this behavior?
Bullying is
a sin. Our children are sinners, and they
live in a sinful world that models this behavior. Any child is susceptible to
the sin of cyber bullying because to stop oneself requires that a teen stop and think before clicking the send
button.
Oops! The
part of the brain that monitors decision making, that slows us down, that helps
us to use empathy, is still in the development stages until adulthood. In
addition to this, the emotion part of the brain can be in overdrive.
No surprise
to parents of teens!
Before
social media that traveled with us everywhere, teen interactions were a bit more monitored. Parents, teachers, youth
workers, grandparents or other adults might be near enough to hear a verbal
exchange and put on the brakes. In a cyber world,
no one is there to intervene.
The Rethinkapp is a great tool to help your children to slow down on social media just enough to stop and think before sending.
It pops up with a warning that works
nearly 95% of the time in stopping an offensive text or post from being sent.
It does this by separating the emotion from the action just long enough to
allow a better decision.
You gotta love an app that encourages discernment!
