Teens Gone Wired: Are You Ready?
Published September 2011
Availiable at Indigo or Amazon
The digital revolution has left many parents feeling intimidated by the world their teens inhabit and they worry that they lack the experience to parent effectively. Teens Gone Wired: Are You Ready? examines today’s parenting challenges from the totality of the teen experience. The book combines advice from dozens of parents and teens with a wealth of recommended sources, including links to many online support systems. All of the key debates that parents are having with their wired teens are discussed, including:
* Fun vs. Obsession
* Sharing vs. Indiscretion
* Forging an Identity vs. Performing for an Audience
* Real Friends vs. Virtual Friends
* Sexual Well-Being vs. Sexual Health
* Privacy vs. Anonymity
* Education vs. Entertainment
* Your Teen’s Issues vs. Your Own Issues
By recounting stories from families who’ve been there and providing practical tips, the book shores up parents’ confidence and gives parents the tools they need to raise today’s teens. Green emphasizes the critical role for parents in mediating their teens’ experiences with both the digital and the real world. While the book is unflinching in acknowledging the trials that parents face today, it supports the author's optimism that parents are not only capable of doing a good job, they can have fun along the way.
Check out the Book Club guide.
REVIEWS:
Village Gamer calls Teens Gone Wired "a sound investment in the mental and physical well-being of our children and in family values." "Without a doubt, Teens Gone Wired: Are You Ready? by Canadian author, researcher and sociologist Lyndsay Green should be required reading for all parents. While both of my kids are well past their teen years and have been wired for years, this book still contains a lot of important information about one of the greatest challenges on being a parent: communication. I would go so far as to also recommend this book to teachers and caregivers who also play a part in the upbringing of our future generations." Check out the whole review at villagegamer.net.
Conrade Yap on his booksaint blog gives Teens Gone Wired four out of five stars. "While it is non-fiction, the stories and the format of the book appear like a novel. The table of contents enables one to get a good grasp of where the author is going. What is most helpful is the extensive understanding of the teen mind."
Stage Door newsletter of the Original Kids Theatre Company: "Lyndsay Green, has published two books that I’m recommending to all parents and grandparents. The first is “You Could Live a Long Time: Are You Ready?” The second is “Teens Gone Wired: Are You Ready?” I have read both of these, and have learned so many common sense, positive things from Lyndsay and the thoughtful people she’s talked to. I recommend them to all of you and as gifts for family members and friends."
Irene S. Roth at Canadian Book Blog gives Teens Gone Wired 5 out of 5 stars. "This book will help individuals to parent their kids about the internet with vigilance, knowledge, and self-awareness." Check it out here.
"What an incredibly well researched and beautifully written book! It informed, inspired and touched me (just as your first one did)." Susan Opler, Oct. 15, 2011.
Lisa Jemus Facebook Post - "This book is INCREDIBLE! Not only is it a phenomenal resource all on its own, but I have now ordered several other books that were recommended throughout. I am now going to FB about it like crazy! THANK YOU LINDSAY GREEN!!" Check out more Facebook feedback on our Facebook page.
Erin Kristalyn on Twitter - "@lyndsaygreen I'm reading Teens Gone Wired right now...really interesting read for teachers of digital teens too! #teensgonewired"
"You weave the personal stories and examples in seamlessly and it's like sitting down with a really open, wise, experienced friend. I particularly love how you encapsulate the duality of each issue in the chapter titles and acknowledge the two sides to every issue in the introduction, making clear that your focus is not on condemnation or uncritical acceptance, but working through the nuances of complex issues."- Shari Graydon informedopinions.org
“A must-read for parents of today’s teenagers. Green deftly demystifies the social impact of the wired world. She integrates what we know about teen social psychology to help parents guide their children in the use of new digital information and entertainment technologies. She sees a future in which all of us can use the new media and not let it use us. And she does so in plain accessible jargon-free English.” - Michael Adams, author of Stayin’ Alive and President of the Environics Group of Companies
“I recommend Green's book as essential reading for parents who seek to connect with their teen. Her engaging and accurate insights into the impact of teenage exposure to the internet are a timely tool for today’s parent.” - Dr. Ainslie Gray, MD. Springboard Clinic, Toronto www.springboardclinic.com
“This book will be especially useful to parents who are trying to gauge whether their teen’s online behaviour is signalling a potentially serious emotional or social problem that needs professional attention, such as depression, anxiety, bullying, or addiction – and it will help them work with their children to turn problems into successes.” - Gordon Floyd, President & CEO of Children’s Mental Health Ontario