Trippin’ on YouTube
Teenage drug experimentation has gone online; teenagers are using the Internet to obtain legal hallucinogens, such as the herb salvia divinorum, and to research the uses of over-the-counter drugs, like cough syrup, to get high. They then post videos on video-sharing sites, like YouTube, showing themselves in various states of intoxication - some look happy, some look giddy, and some look downright scared.
Remind your kids that things they post online are not private and can be viewed by parents and guardians, teachers, college admissions officers, employers, and the police. Even things posted on "private" social networking pages can be copied and pasted on other sites. Students have been suspended from school, kicked off sports teams, and denied jobs for posting photos and videos of themselves drinking alcohol or doing drugs. Inappropriate behavior can rebound to affect children both online and in the real world; talk to your kids about how their offline behavior can hurt them now and putting it online can hurt their future. Encourage your children to respect themselves on- and offline.
