communicating with the youth

At the beginning of the year or whenever you will see most of the youth, have them sign up for their preferred means of communications. Most do not use email now, but some do. Some are on Facebook, some are not. Some do not text, but most do...
On the Documents page of this blog is a sample spreadsheet that gathers this information.

Some Facebook hints

Most of this will be obvious to most, but in keeping with providing hints just in case someone hadn't thought of it:

• Once you are a part of a youth's social network, be prepared to ignore potentially shocking posts. Youth just don't think about who may be reading their posts and are likely to say anything to impress their peers.
  
• For good or for ill they usually view their posts as being directed to a specific not the general population. They view Facebook as their private system. It is sometimes worth “liking” or responding to an innocent post to remind them that you and others are able to see their posts.
  
• Be very hesitant to insert yourself into discussions or comment on posts. They are very sensitive to being “stalked” even though they friended you.
  
• Watch for serious concerns, but try to not raise your concerns on the site. If necessary, email them, or better yet speak to them personally. Try not to indicate where you got your information.
  
• You can learn a lot about a kid by watching their posts, but, again, don't put too much stock in any one post.
  
• They quote song fragments a lot and don't use quotation marks so it is easy to misunderstand a post.
  

Youth room computers

Have at least one decent computer, if not a network of them for the youth to use for homework or games during any “free time” in the youth program.

• Have strong “least common denominator” child protection software on each computer. If you can afford it, there are routers that have such built in so that even wireless computers brought in are under the control of the software.
  
• You can override the child protection software, as needed, for homework.
  
• Homework takes precedence over games, etc.
  
• You may want to consider blocking social networking sites because this takes the youth out of the fellowship you are trying to establish.
  

Facebook

Make it clear that you have a Facebook account, or any other such social network that may be popular with your youth.

But do not ask to “friend” them. That puts them on the spot. There are a variety of reasons why they may not want you as a “friend” and asking them directly makes them do something they don't want to do or forces them to tell you that they are going to decline. Wait for them to invite you.