Spring Break for the Net Generation:

What Happens in Cancun, Miami or Vegas May Not Stay There Qwest’s Cyberpsychologist Helps Parents Teach Teens Web Reputation Management The get-away-and-get-crazy spring break tradition has been popular for several generations, and some parents may have memories of their own that they’re happy to leave in the past. But for the Net Generation, what happens in Cancun, Miami or Vegas may not stay there. Thanks to camera phones, social networks and the Internet, those embarrassing, reputation-ruining moments may be captured forever in cyberspace and viewed by millions. Employers now routinely check social networking Web sites and run applicant’s names through search engines as part of the hiring process. They assess an applicant’s character and judgment by looking at how they represent themselves online. Along with impulsively posting their own tasteless escapades on the Internet, your college student might find that the spring break antics he or she may not even remember could be posted online by someone else. With the click of a mouse, your child’s job prospects may be compromised. Linda Young, Ph. D., a counseling psychologist, will explain why young people do embarrassing, stupid, risky or degrading things during spring break and why young members of the Net Generation have a need to post that information on the Web. Last, she will offer tips to parents to help them communicate with their children about risky behaviors and how they can never be reduced to memories. Linda R. Young, Ph.D., cyberpsychologist and contributing writer for http://www.incredibleinternet.com studies and comments on the ways technology affects our daily lives. Dr. Young has 15 years experience as a counseling psychologist is a staff psychologist at Seattle University. Parents can ask her directly for advice through the “Ask the Experts” section of IncredibleInternet.com. https://videos.whiteblox.com/gnb/secure/player.aspx?sid=47187