In the world we live in today it is so easy to find out anything about almost anyone.  But it’s not so fun finding out tidbits about say, a boyfriend, or in my case, a friend of your teenage daughter. Even though some parents frown upon social networking sites, there are also those like myself who are actually thankful for them.

What some of these teens today don’t understand or remember is that we were exposed to the internet and all things technology before their time.

In the eyes of my fourteen-year-old daughter and her friends I am just a giant dork who can’t dance, dress or post anything on Facebook or Instagram properly. I just laugh to myself while they giggle, whisper and roll their eyes about me. Lucky for them, I remember all too well what it’s like to be a teenager. I also remember hanging out with kids who weren’t completely honest about their activities. Later I found out how naive I was as a teen, oblivious to certain habits of others.

I recently had my own experience with such a case. A friend of mine that I have known for years from school reached out to me, despite the fact that her kids were against it. Her children go to school with my children. They came across a friend of my daughters Instagram account and innocently looked at his photos– just to keep tabs on him, I suppose. They found pictures of (we’ll call him “Phil”) Phil holding what appeared to be drug paraphernalia. My friend didn’t hesitate and showed the photos to me as soon as she saw them. I am so thankful for this.

I immediately showed my daughter and forwarded them to her father. She had no idea she was involved with someone who could possibly be doing these things. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

I decided to check his account out for myself and sure enough I found more; so sad for him to start at such a young age.

In reality “dorky parents” like myself are most likely 20 steps ahead when it comes to our children. Most of the teens these days do not have their settings as private (thankfully), and as my friend told me when she revealed this news to me “it takes an army to raise a child and you are raising four, alone.”

She also has two she is raising alone.

Anything we can do to help each other out is much appreciated.