How Teens Can Protect Themselves From Cyberbullies

December 7, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Photo by Neohippy
Cyberbullying can drive depressed teens to suicide.

That is a tough fact to swallow, but it’s true nevertheless. Having just read a post by Wendy Piersall regarding a depressed 13-year-old girl who committed suicide after being a victim of cyberbullying, I am convinced … cyberbullying can be devastating. In this young girl’s case, the bullying was done not only by the cyber “friend” but by the friend’s parents as well. Please do read Wendy’s post if you haven’t already.

Cyberbullying occurs in many different places online, not just social networking sites. It is done by adults as well as teens. It is usually done by strangers, but on many occasions it is done by acquaintances. People you know and who are nothing but sweet to your face may turn absolutely cruel on the Internet. I personally have seen young girls from my daughter’s school … whom I always considered polite … turn revengeful, filthy mouthed, hateful, and even life threatening on the Internet. And when the victim is already suffering from depression, the bullying may be enough to lead the victim to make a horrible decision, as was the case with the mentioned 13-year-old.

What Can We Do To Protect Our Teens?

All parents should be aware of who their children are communicating with on the Internet. But depressed people are especially vulnerable as they may be seeking a social life or even help on the Internet. Below is a list of precautions to take. These do not apply only to cyberbullying but also to protect against predators on the Internet.

Things a parent can do:

Respect your children’s privacy, but never allow them to have Internet access in their bedroom. Monitor the websites they visit.
Be a part of your children’s online experiences. If they have a blog, join in on the conversations occasionally. If you are not Internet lingo savy, you can go to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children site and print out a list of acronyms commonly used in instant messenger and chat rooms.
Communicate with your children. Talk to them about the dangers and let them know you will help them out of a bad situation.
Discuss online etiquette with your children so as not to instigate bullying. For instance, tell them that if something is too mean to say to someone’s face, then it probably is not appropriate to say online.

Things teens can do:

Beware of chat room “friends” and “buddies” as they are not always who they say they are.
Guard identity information (name, age, sex, school, address). Do not open attachments from cyber “friends” as they may contain viruses which can provide identities to hackers.
Know that responsible adults do not pursue relationships with kids and teens.
Make sure your username is anonymous.
Know how to recognize an inappropriate chatroom and exit when necessary.
Never send pictures online that you wouldn’t want your classmates to see. Pictures can be altered and used to harass people via the Internet. Once it is there, it never goes away.
If one of your friends is bullying someone, ask them to stop. Let them know it is not normal or okay.

What to do if you are cyberbullied.

If you are a victim:

Ignore the person or log off if the harassment is bothering you.
If it is happening in a social networking site such as Myspace, block their username or delete them from your buddy list.
If someone has hacked into your profile, change your password and possibly even your username and email address.
If someone has created a profile about you without your permission, contact the site owner and request that it be removed.
Talk to someone you trust. If you feel scared or trapped, you should talk with an adult, such as a parent, aunt/uncle, teacher, school counselor, or church youth group leader.

If you or a friend is depressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 188-273-TALK.

Technorati Tags: Cyberbullies, depression

Posted by Julie Alexander | Filed Under Blog

New Grocery System Helps Us Make Healthier Food Choices

December 6, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Photo by Poldavo
Do you read nutrition labels on food products before you buy?

We should all be regular readers of labels when it comes to the food we buy. But despite our efforts, it can be a difficult task. Labels are deceiving. Sometimes the label can indicate a product is a healthy choice but, truthfully, it is quite the opposite. But in 2008, a new system is going into effect which will score the nutritional value of foods on our grocery shelves and, therefore, assist us in our food choices.

The scoring system, Overall Nutritional Quality Index (ONQI), will assign a score from 1 to 100 for all foods. It will take into account positive factors … such as fiber, nutrients, omega 3 fatty acids, and proteins … as well as negative factors … such as amounts of saturated fat, sugar, and cholesterol in foods.

Topco Associates, LLC, will be introducing the new scoring system in the second half of 2008. Topco is a grocery distribution and services cooperative owned by independent grocers including IGA, Wegmans, Hy-Vee, and Food City. Initially, the system will be featured on Topco’s private label brands, but could later be made available to other manufacturers.

Will this system really work?

This scoring system will only work if we use it. Many consumers don’t read labels and so they probably won’t even notice the new system in place. But when used by consumers, this scoring system will help us compare different types of the same foods. It will tell us which fruits or veggies are more or less healthy.

One downside is that manufacturers will not be obligated to use the new scoring system. But even if a manufacturer chooses not to use the system on labels, the grocer may choose to put the scores on shelves next to the food products. We can only pray they do. ONCI won’t solve all our label woes, but it will make it much easier for us to evaluate all food products.

Technorati Tags: healthy food

Posted by Julie Alexander | Filed Under Blog, Health

Joan Van Ark: The Results Of Addiction To Botox

December 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Is Our Attempt To Defy Age Worth The Cost?

Probably by now you have seen in the news the recent photos of Joan van Ark’s (1980’s Knot’s Landing star) failed attempts at cosmetic surgery. If you have not, go to Daily Mail to read up. Unfortunately, Joan has taken cosmetic surgery to the extreme and she is now paying the ultimate price.

Once a gorgeous woman, Joan van Ark is now 64 years old and she provides us the perfect example of how not to combat wrinkles. While a little Botox can appear to do wonders, an addiction to cosmetic procedures (whether surgical or non-surgical) can cause you to fail miserably in your attempts to turn back time. A plastic surgeon by the name of Jan Adams was once quoted as saying, “You have to be realistic about what your goal is in terms of what you are trying to achieve.” Joan is living proof that a 60-year-old woman trying to regain her 20-year-old face is not a good thing.

A little info about Botox.

Botox is by far the most popular procedure of all cosmetic procedures. Botox stands for Botulinum Toxin Type A. It is a protein that is produced by the same bacteria that causes botulism - a food poisoning. A quote on the FDA website states that Botox is “the most poisonous poison.” It can be fatal when used improperly.

Botox works by paralyzing the muscles it comes into contact with. However, it is only temporary as nerve cells will grow new connections to your muscles. As a result, in order to maintain wrinkles, the Botox procedure must be done repeatedly.

Some complications may arise from Botox.

Usually, any complications from Botox are minor and short lived. They include:

the face appearing too tight,
some facial features may not match the rest of the face, and
muscles may be prevented from contracting and creating frown lines.

But there are more serious risks. There is the rare possibility that the Botox injection can spread to other areas and cause paralysis in unintended muscles. There have been reports of paralyis in the throat thereby restricting swallowing, but this would normally be the result of improper injections and not a result of injecting the poison. Administering Botox requires skill and accuracy. When applied properly, it is relatively safe. However, improper injections can cause serious health problems, including death.

The majority of Botox patients report experiencing no serious side effects whatsoever. But because Botox is temporary and has to be re-injected, and because it is considered to be a poison, I would be hesistant to get started with such a continual procedure. With every injection, you increase your risk of a serious complication. In Joan van Ark’s circumstance, she appears to have become addicted to cosmetic surgery. There are reports that she insists on a procedure before every public event. But looking at her picture, I say she failed on her journey to turn back time, but rather she hit the fast forward button instead.

Technorati Tags: botox

Posted by Julie Alexander | Filed Under Beauty, Blog