The good news is, we can do most anything more efficiently and connect with friends and family members 24/7 with the wonders of technology!  On the other hand, technology follows us everywhere; from brushing our teeth in the morning to turning in for the night.  There is, literally, no escape!  For tweens and teens, this sense of being attached to an “electronic leash” can have negative consequences, including bullying behavior, sexting, online dating, etc.  Know how to set reasonable boundaries around the use of technology in your family and you’ll be way ahead of the curve. 

1. Establish techno guidelines for the whole family and stick to them
2. Remember: if your teen is awake, they’re probably “online”
3. Model your family values around face to face interaction
4. Set up a “no tech night” and, instead, institute a weekly board game night
5. Talk the talk and walk the walk of “Empathy”
6. Teach them that what they send out there lasts 4-ever!
7. Figure out “addiction” vs. “techno-balance”
8. Unplug!  Everyone and Everything - including yourself
9. Understand there’s a healthy balance – don’t ban all technology
10. Set up appropriate consequences in advance if the guidelines are violated 

This post originally appears at Response: Empowering Teens to Make Healthy Choices