Media Update - AND In a World of "Interconnectivity," what is our Role as Parents?

YESTERDAY, we Blogged about the news that Weigh Down was featured on "The INSIDER" TV show last night. If you missed the show, CLICK HERE to watch the replay. It was wonderful, and the response from around the world is overwhelming! The story of Andy and Maggie Sorrells, with a combined weight loss of 550 pounds, ALREADY is an inspiration to lots of people who are getting started with Weigh Down! GREAT NEWS!

On with the Blog...
ALARMING STATS of the DAY regarding TEEN INTERNET COMMUNICATION - courtesy of netsmartz.org

• 71% reported receiving messages online from someone they don’t know.
• 45% have been asked for personal information by someone they don’t know.
• 30% have considered meeting someone that they’ve only talked to online
• 14% have actually met a person face-to-face they they’ve only spoken to over the Internet (9% of 13-15s; 22% of 16-17s).

When teens receive messages online from someone they don’t know, 40% reported that they’ll usually reply and chat with that person.

• Only 18% said they’ll tell an adult...

Is that a "wakeup call" or what? And those stats are from 2006! How much FASTER and EASIER has it gotten to communicate via the internet in the three years since those numbers were first reported? During a recent message given by Gwen in a PARENTING meeting, she asked the parents, "Are you hovering over and around your children?" And of course she was asking whether parents were more involved in their OWN wants and interests and activities...or were they constantly interested in and involved in what their own CHILDREN were involved with? Are we so "Facebooked and Twittered and MySpaced" with our OWN connections and friends that we've turned our faces from their activities and "trusted" the judgments of the PRECIOUS GIFTS from GOD that are our own CHILDREN? They're YOUNG. What were YOU like as a Teen? As we recall our own past wanderings, remember now that these young people have INSTANT ACCESS to ANY kind of "sensual indulgence"...NOW MORESO than at ANY time in history. If we truly LOVE our children, why WOULDN'T we be involved in every aspect of their lives...LOVINGLY guiding them and letting them know how much we're looking out for them and their best interest...letting them know how we ALWAYS want what is best for them! It truly is a LIE from satan to believe that hovering that closely to our children is bad for them. The exact OPPOSITE is true. It IS LOVE to raise your children with the same level of interest and personal attention that GOD has given to each of US. He has been incredibly PERSONAL with us...involved in every aspect of our lives. It's a wakeup call indeed...

Today on WDWB LIVE, we'll visit with REGINA SMITH, a parent herself of children ranging from the youngest grade school ages all the way up through college age. She'll have some great perspective on putting into PRACTICE these life-changing principles of being CLOSE to your children. The good, peaceful, happy relationships that she and her husband KENT have with their kids will inspire you. There is HOPE!