The Teen's Guide to Social Media... and Mobile Devices

Even though this book is targeted to teens, the message is for all ages. Social media is still considered as new to people and most of us aren't aware of their limitations and danger. This book is very helpful and important. I believe this sort of topic should be discussed to students in school during homeroom or even just once a week to make them aware of the circumstances and help guide and protect the students.

"Nothing is temporary."

All three of my children received their first devices last year. Since then I’ve been struggling to know how much monitoring to do. This book is written for teens, but it greatly encouraged me in my learning curve as a mom in the information age.

The author speaks to many churches and groups year round. He knows his stuff well. This book is full to the brim with anecdotes, news stories, and statistics, and they are shared in an engaging way. The author also deftly weaves in biblical wisdom in a way that promotes common sense and good values. He has a gift for speaking with teens, and I think my 13-year-old son will like his style.

Using a breezy 21-tip format, this book is ideal even for teens who aren’t into reading. It presents warnings that don’t feel melodramatic. I was surprised at how affirming this book was to me as a mom. The author says most parents don’t monitor their child’s online activity, and that’s okay because it gives your teen a chance to develop personal responsibility. That fact relieved the guilt I was experiencing. But I also want to encourage my children’s critical thinking skills, and this book will open up some fruitful conversations in our home.

Great quotes:

- Keep your phone in your pocket during meals with friends or family, and see if it becomes contagious.
- Anonymity is actually only perceived anonymity, and it breeds carelessness.
- Don’t get so caught up in posting the moment that you miss the moment.
- Likes don’t determine your value.
- Your phone is not the problem. The problem is when we let our phone captivate us so significantly with the unimportant that we ignore the important all around us.

If you’re unsure how to talk to your teen about social media use, The Teen’s Guide to Social Media will serve as a valuable road map.

The Teen’s Guide to Social Media… and Mobile Devices

21 Tips to Wise Posting in an Insecure World
by Jonathan McKee

Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Shiloh Run Press
Christian , Teens & YA

Pub Date 01 Oct 2017

I am reviewing a copy of The Teen’s Guide to Social Media…and Mobile Devices through Barbour Publishing and Netgalley:

This book will help teens navigate the digital world with humorous and honest tips. While reminding parents that children as a general rule should not be allowed to open social media accounts until their thirteen, and that those rules are put into their play for safety. With tips like love the people you are with, check your privacy settings, we are reminded too that we often complain about things until they end up saving us. Teens are reminded too that nothing they post is temporary, advise like live your life in a way that no one can accuse you, is also brought into play. And the author goes on to remind of the long lasting affect of porn, and the importance of steering clear from such actions.

The readers are reminded of the importance of seeking out mentors, as well as being reminded that anonymity in social media is a myth. The readers are reminded too of the importance of not talking to strangers, even the danger of to many selfies is brought up.

The importance of knowing the app you are using is also brought up. We learn that Snapchat was actually created under the guise “the best way to sext”. We are reminded too that Snapchat pictures do not always dissapear. This does not necessarily mean Snapchat is bad, it can be a tool used for good. Teens are reminded too of the importance of keeping an eye on their screen time, and not to overdo it. They are also encouraged to frequent tech free zones. Teens are even encouraged to friend their parents on social media.

The author goes on to encourage teens to dissect their entertainment media. Teens and everyone else really is reminded to think before they post. We are encouraged too to crush cruelty and criticism. We are reminded too of the dangers of distraction, including the deadly danger of texting while driving. The importance of not letting social media interfere with sleep is also brought up, along with the negative effect it can have on a students grades. As well as the importance of being aware of your surroundings.

I give The Teens Guide to Social Media and Mobile Devices five out of five stars!

Happy Reading

I picked this book cause I was totally aware on how nowadays tech consumes most of my socialization between people. This book really expresses my concern especially towards myself and how my future children gonna be, How can they survive in the real world if they have a mom who is attached to the devices all the time. And this thought makes me sad.

Reading this is like reading something that you already know the consequences but had been buried inside yourself so deep that you neglect the issues, you feel it was unimportant until this very book raise it. This was a perspective changing book as I glad to choose it in the first place.

It is a must read to all teenagers to make them aware that how ugly this situation is. I like the author affirm his point on it was not the tech problem, is how you use it.

I would like to share my personal stories while reading this books. I've been in a unpredicted mood just by engaging myself in socmed, I didnt remember that actually this act just makes me less social. So by reading this, I realize a bit on the times a loose by spending too much on socmed, and yeah most of the facts in this books was reliable, its true, some of us experience it, just like me experience it. That how much this socmed make me depressed. So I take a huge step in deciding to reduce my involvement in socmed and that really helps. This book helps me a lot too in taking those step, the awareness is very important, it is sad how our generation sometimes neglect this issues although we already know how it affects our lifestyle.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shiloh Run Press for the opportunity to read and review The Teen’s Guide to Social Media by Jonathan McKee. This helpful guide contains “21 Tips to Wise Posting in an Insecure World”. Each tip is given its own chapter and a clever name, which summarizes the advice. The book opens with a letter of relevant advice to parents and all caring adults that might be feeling overwhelmed with the technology overload and in need of possible rules and guidelines for raising children in a world with constant internet access. This guide reminds us: to keep up our social skills, to check privacy settings, that posting is permanent, of the detrimental effects of pornography, to seek out a mentor, to be accountable, don’t talk to strangers, to take less selfies, don’t become addicted to likes, to know the apps, to reevaluate online time, to find tech-free zones, to friend people you know, to rethink your media, to think before posting, to use kind words, don’t let your driving become distracted, no nude posts, to be truthful, sleep and stay aware.
Questions to ponder and something to think about sections at the close of each chapter/tip and a resource list at the end of the book give readers more to think about and research. 5 stars for this beneficial, relevant guide to online safety!

This book was very well written and informative. This is a great resource to guide teens in making good choices regarding technology and social media. I was expecting a dry and more adult friendly book but the writing style is perfect for the target audience of teens. I would highly recommend this to any teenagers and am certainly going to be ordering some for gifts.

The Teen’s Guide To Social Media & Mobile Devices: 21 Tips To Wise Posting In An Insecure World, by Jonathan McKee, is a must have for any parent and teen.
Although aimed at teens, I found this book to be very insightful, and would recommend that parents and teens go through the book together, and so does the author, which is why he starts the book with an introduction for parents. I love how he sums up why, we as parents, shouldn’t just hand a phone or other mobile device over to our teens with a strict list of rules, but rather, we should “…create a climate of continual conversation about social media and screen entertainment. The best rules after all, are those that cultivate conversation and equip kids to make decisions.”
Speaking in a down to earth, and sometimes funny manner, McKee starts the book with what it really means to be social and the importance of relating to each other in real life, and not just across the screen. He then dives into practical posting tips like privacy settings, downloading safe apps and no texting or driving. McKee than does a fantastic job of interweaving scripture if necessary with heavier such as obsessive selfies and porn and finding value in “whose” you are. He also covers things like online bullying and making good music or video choices.
His book is very thoughtful and thorough. I highly suggest buying this book the same time you make the decision to allow your teen (and he does recommend that only children 13 and older have them and gives good reasons why) to have a device and go through the book together, perhaps before they get control of their device.
If your teen already has a phone, still grab this, and make a weekend of going through the book together. You may be surprised at the bonding and conversations that will come from it.

I was given a review copy from Barbour Publishing through Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

Jonathan McKee provides teens and their parents an easy to read guide to social media. The book is divided into 21 "tips" which include everything from being kind online to sexting. While he pulls no punches, he does deliver his message in a clear, reasoned tone well supported by both research and Biblical texts...both of which is uses sparingly and very well. The preface includes notes to parents, grandparents and other adults who might be screening or sharing this book, a note to the teen reader, and lots of solid advice. Each Tip or chapter covers a concern about social media use, a bit of research on that particular point, questions to ponder, and something to think about. This title would make an excellent group book study for parent groups, youth groups, or both. I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.