Today your Local Yokels are pleading with parents to talk to their young ‘uns about online safety. The news that a student at Windsor Knolls Middle School was caught distributing explicit material of herself and her high school friend is–well, really, it is hard to find succinct words for distressing news with so many facets to it. Far be it for a team of bloggers to come across as Luddites, but at times we all pine for the days when young people could not so easily make and distribute pornography in their free time. Not to mention look at it. Also, feeling nostalgia for the bygone days when doing something rebellious wasn’t necessarily so darn permanent or public…

There are many resources available for addressing this subject. If you need a shorter version: don’t take images of yourself that you wouldn’t show Mom and Dad. It may also be useful to discuss the news and say, “That must be humiliating to discuss with your teachers and principal and police officers. Best avoid that.” If anything positive can come of this, may it provide a good cautionary tale to start a conversation, whether for the first time, or to revisit.

And a quick note emphasizing how to empower kids against on-line bullying. Have them take the bull by the horns and shut down the account.