Teen Talk Tuesday: Sketchy Images
There is nothing more important in our relationships with our teenagers than open communication — and the Teen Talk Tuesday sketchy images conversation is one of the most important ones to have before your teen stumbles into it on their own. When I had younger kids, I thought this would be easy for me — I am such a talker! In reality, it is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Now that I am on my almost third teenage boy, I want to pass along some conversations and prompts that might be helpful for you.
Every Tuesday I will be sharing a conversation, a conversation starter, or questions to get you talking with your teens about the important stuff. Here is the Teen Talk Tuesday sketchy images conversation that happened a few days ago in the car.
The Teen Talk Tuesday Sketchy Images Conversation
Me: Hey, when was the last time you saw or heard something that made you uncomfortable?
Teen: What do you mean?
Me: You know, an image, video, joke, or conversation that didn’t feel quite right.
Teen: Oh. A few weeks ago I was searching for something at school on Google and I clicked on images because I thought it would be helpful. There was some stuff there that wasn’t good.
Me: Oh yeah. That happened to me too the other day! (Normalize it for them!) Images can be so sketchy no matter what I am looking for. So, what did you do?
Teen: I just closed it out and did a regular search, which was fine. I’m not going to click on images anymore.
Me: I’m glad you felt strong enough to do that. Did it make you curious or did you feel like you wanted to see more stuff like that?
Teen: No, not at all. It was just weird.
Me: Okay. I know when I was a teenager, some things were weird but I was still curious about them. You know if you are ever interested, confused, or curious that you can come to me and we can talk about it. Right?
Teen: Yeah, I know.
Me: You know Google is not the place to go if you have questions about your body or sex or things like that, because you will probably get way more than you were planning on?
Teen: Yeah.
Me: You are awesome.
Why This Teen Talk Tuesday Sketchy Images Conversation Matters
These conversations always start out a little bit awkward, but they are worth it. Keep talking to your kids. Let them know you are there and that you love them and that the feelings and thoughts they have are normal. It might be hard, but I know it is worth it. The reaction you have when they tell you something uncomfortable determines whether they tell you again next time.
Related Reading
- before your child signs up for Instagram
- the incredibly easy internet safety cheat sheet
- 10 things before getting your child a smartphone
Helpful External Resources
Frequently Asked Questions: Teen Talk Tuesday Sketchy Images
How do you talk to your teen about inappropriate images online?
The most effective approach to the Teen Talk Tuesday sketchy images conversation is to normalize it. Say ‘That happened to me too’ — because making them feel like the only one who encounters this makes them less likely to tell you next time. Keep the door open. Let them know curiosity is normal and that you are a safer source than Google.
What do you do when your teen sees inappropriate content online?
The Teen Talk Tuesday sketchy images conversation showed what a well-prepared teen does: he closed it, did a regular search instead, and decided not to click on images anymore. Preparation means talking about this before it happens — what to do when they encounter something uncomfortable, and making sure they know they can tell you without getting in trouble.
How do you keep communication open with teenagers about online safety?
The Teen Talk Tuesday sketchy images approach: ask questions in the car where eye contact is reduced and pressure is lower. Start with ‘When was the last time you saw something uncomfortable?’ not a lecture. Keep it conversational. Tell them it happened to you. Let them know you are a safer source than Google. Even when it is awkward, it is worth it.
