• Book reviews for A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Social Media

    I’ve enjoyed reading reviews of the new book posted to Amazon.

    Here’s a sample of 5:

    A Great Resource for Parents

    This short book is crammed full of information on social media that every person should know! The chapter on Internet privacy was especially informative. It’s well worth the read!

    I like it. A short book gets a short review.

    Excellent Resource for all parents and teachers/youth workers

    I am a parent of an 8yr old who very much wants to own an iPod touch so she can text me and play Words with Friends with her parents. And take pictures and videos that she can send to grandma, grandpa, and friends. My 5 yr old will be there soon enough, as well. This book gives me hope rather than fear and practical guidance for the conversations to come with my children about online responsibility. I appreciate that Adam and Marko refer to online gaming and cell phones as social media outlets, and they address national laws concerning age limits and such.

    As a youth minister who daily connects with teens, parents, grandparents, and colleagues via Facebook, Twiiter, Instagram, and LinkedIn… This is a gold mine of information to have in my back pocket (or rather on my Kindle app!). I have already begun referring parents having teens & tech struggles.

    This book is and was SO needed. Thank you for combining your wisdom and experiences in this easy to read book! Congrats on a job well done.

    Thanks Leena. We were definitely hoping to alleviate fear by giving information and principles. Glad they work with all ages!

    Great Guide for Lost Parents!

    I would recommend this book to any parent. The younger your child is the better as we look at preparing for the world of Social Media. If your child is a preteen (4th-6th Grade) then you NEED to read it now. If your child is in Jr. High then you need to read it yesterday. Remember with all of this that prayer and God are your number one resource in raising children. Great book! Definitely 5 stars.

    Bingo. The content of the book was guided by a parenting seminar I do. It’s not aimed at high-level professional social media types… we worked really hard to keep it approachable while pointing to the data, plus offering our best advice.

    A Great Resource

    I have to admit that I was not expecting to get too much from reading this book as I am already fairly in the know when it comes to technology. I was however pleasantly surprised and found myself recommending the book to a friend with a child in the pre-teen years shortly after finishing it. It is a quick read, but is actually a handy resource on what is happening on the internet and how to handle it with our kids. As a parent of kids just entering those years, I am sure I will refer back to this book as a resource from time to time.

    Really humbled by this. I’m glad our experience is helping you and your friend.

    A great guide for the experienced and the newbie

    As a parent and a youth leader, I am very impressed with this book. It is short enough to not feel overwhelming; informative enough feel like I’m actually learning something; and practical enough for me to know I’m going to refer back to this book time and time again.

    I feel like the intention of this book is to help parents who don’t know anything at all about social media. But I can say as an avid user of social media myself (very important in helping me connect with a lot of the teenagers I work with!), this was still a very helpful book! I can’t impose boundaries on kids that aren’t my own, but I can make suggestions, and help parents who need ideas. I can apply some of these very good guidelines to my own children when they become teenagers (which will be much sooner than I am ready for, I’m sure), knowing that by being involved in what they do, I am showing that I do care about them as a parent.

    One of my favorite parts of the book seems to sum up the whole: “As parents of teenagers, we are trying to raise adults. We’re more interested in wisdom than compliance, more interested in responsibility than high walls of protection, and more interested in healthy parent/teen communication than maintaining a veneer of good appearances.” Amen and amen. Well done, Adam and Marko. I highly recommend to all parents of teenagers (and preteens).

    That’s great feedback. I think I’ve learned that most adults, even avid users, are using social media… are even pretty savvy. But they haven’t taken the step back to think about their use… the UI of everything is so intuitive, it comes naturally. I’m glad the book helped frame some of that for you.

    Wanna read it?

    Available at Amazon in soft cover or Kindle. Also available at The Youth Cartel & Simply Youth MinistryOr learn how to get it for free.

  • 10 Things I’m Looking Forward to about My Trip to Zimbabwe

    Entering Zimbabwe

    In just two days I leave on a 10-day trip to Zimbabwe with World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine and a grip of youth workers. As you can imagine I’m a wild mix of preparation, wrapping up projects, enjoying the final day of the kids Christmas break, and a variety of lists. (Yes. This post was on my list.)

    Here are 10 things I’m looking forward to about the Zimbabwe Trip

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  • Making Memories with My Kids

    Making Memories with My Kids
    Whether it’s celebrating New Years with the kids or going to a big game. We’re always making memories.

    “They Grow Up So Fast”

    They grow up so fast, enjoy it. Blink and they’ll be 20.” Is there a more annoying thing to tell a new parent? Knee deep in dirty diapers, sleep deprivation, and the constant worry that you’re going to somehow screw up God’s little gift to you… the only thing you want is to catch some solid sleep between now and when that baby is old enough to talk to you about what they want and crap in the toilet all by themselves.

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  • Social Media Rule #1 – Everything posted online is public

    Social Media Rule #1: Everything posted online is public
    This Christmas picture shared on Facebook went viral, much to the embarrassment of the Zuckerberg family. (You know, that guy Mark who founded Facebook…)

    Social Media Rule #1: Everything posted online is public

    It seems that even Mark Zuckerberg’s older sister, Randi, has become a victim of Facebook’s totalitarian privacy settings. Forbes “30 under 30? media honoree Callie Schweitzer tweeted the above photo of the Zuckerberg family, writing “@randizuckerberg demonstrates her family’s response to Poke #GAH.”

    Zuckerberg responded, saying, “Not sure where you got this photo. I posted it only to friends on FB. You reposting it on Twitter is way uncool.”

    Quote from Salon.com, December 26th 2012

    I enjoyed the irony that the man who created Facebook got bit by Facebook on Christmas day.

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  • Tilt Your Perspective to See Things Differently

    Tilt Your Perspective to See Things Differently

    Tilt your perspective to see things differently. 

    Pakistan to Siberia in a straight line without touching land. I had to watch that video 3 times to get how it’s possible.

    Left on its normal axis you’d never see it. But tilt the globe a little and you start to see things you never saw before.

    Axiom: Step away from your challenges long enough to gain a fresh perspective.

  • What Posture Do You Take?

    Posture impacts perspective
    My posture sure impacts your perspective, doesn’t it? How big is this fish?

    Beginning Again After Reflection

    Having just taken a 2-week break from my daily blogging routine, I’m coming back at the task fresh from some time of reflection.

    Ultimately, my reasons for writing this blog haven’t changed from when I started it in 2004. Back then I said I was starting this blog, “Mostly as a way to share with myself, just what is going on.”

    Historically, my blog is at it’s best when I’m writing about my journey. And, speaking just for myself, I feel worst about it when I try to use it for some other purpose.

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  • Go to Haiti with Me April 6-9

    Go to Haiti with me this April 6-9
    All the cool kids are going to Haiti this April. Join me.

    Nearly 3 years ago the world watched in shared disbelief as a devastating earthquake flattened much of Port au Prince, Haiti.

    That night, as I tried to gather my thoughts, I summarized it into three things: Pray. Give. Go. 

    • I committed to pray for people effected, people I’d likely never meet, and those who responded. I committed to pray for both immediate relief, for systemic change to a country devastated by decades of exploitation, and that somehow– mysteriously and amazingly– the earthquake could be used for God’s glory.
    • I committed to give appropriately and generously. As time went on that got messier and messier, but I committed to that.
    • I committed that if there was a way I could go and actually help people… I’d go.

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  • This Tragedy Has Changed Us

    PS General Slocum

    On June 15th, 1904 the PS General Slocum was chartered by St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of New York City for $350. 1,360 people showed up that Wednesday for the 17th annual Sunday School picnic. It was a calm and beautiful morning… anyone who has visited Manhattan in the summer can envision this morning. The sun warming away cool breezes, the river waves slapping the dock, and building excitement as people arrived for a fun day.

    Even by today’s standards… a church event with 1,360 people is a really, really big deal. 

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  • Ideas for the SDSU Priority Points System

    Ideas for the SDSU Priority Points System

    Like most college athletic departments, SDSU has a point system for allocating tickets. Whether its NCAA basketball tickets, moving to better season ticket locations, or seating priority for a bowl game, the point system is valuable to all fans who like to attend games.

    The Problem with the Current SDSU Priority Points System

    With that said, the current SDSU point system is struggling to adapt to an exploding fan base. Starting in about 2009, the football and basketball programs have gone on a tear, moving from regional doormat to a blossoming national awareness. The net effect has been that there are two different San Diego State fan bases.

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  • Scare Me Maybe

    Scare me maybe?

    Let’s face it. The next week or so “at work” will consist of listlessly making yourself busy, repeatedly checking UPS deliveries, and otherwise pretending to not be distracted by the impending gift giving holiday known as Christmas.

    So maybe you should be more productive? How about scaring the crap out of co-workers instead?