Huffington Magazine Issue 10 | Page 107

Exit eWISE When my adult niece told me that my teenage son had postings with the f-word and drug references on his Facebook page, I went straight to my son to take down those posts. He knows I have no idea how to use Facebook, so I told him how I found out. The next day my niece emailed that he had unfriended her. She didn’t seem particularly fazed by it, but was I wrong to intervene? — Mom glad not to be on Facebook TOP TO BOTTOM: JOE KOHEN/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES; CINDY ORD/GETTY IMAGES; SHUTTERSTOCK / MARKO MARCELLO; JEAN BAPTISTE LACROIX/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES Q No, we need to help those who can’t help themselves, and teenage boys need lots of help. But there are sneakier ways to make sure your son isn’t broadcasting his worst habits. A service called ZoneAlarm SocialGuard will alert you when certain words, potential strangers, cyber-bullying or malicious links appear on your child’s page without allowing you to see what he is posting. You can customize it, so be sure to add any code words your son and his friends use to describe their antics. This is only a partial solution, as he may create a dummy page or move the colorful talk to chats if you’re clueless. Mentioning his chances of getting a cool summer job could convince him to clean up his page on his own. A Have a question about electronic etiquette? Email [email protected]. ENOUGH ALREADY totally over. Things we’re Babies in bars Nail art Palins in reality shows Mike Tyson Cutoff shorts with pocket-lining showing Shia LaBeouf thinking he’s an artist Overanalyzing women’s love lives Sofia Vergara in commercials HUFFINGTON 8.19.12