Publisher Description

"A must read for parents (and future parents) of teenagers. Consider Anastasia Goodstein as the daughter you totally 'get' - explaining all the behaviors of the daughter you totally don't 'get.' Consider this a parent/teen dictionary. Brilliant and lifesaving " - Atoosa Rubenstein, former editor in chief of "Seventeen" magazine ""Totally Wired" is both an awakening and a comfort for adults who feel lost in the infinite alleys of cyberspace. Goodstein gives it to us straight - honestly examining the threats to kids, but also including fresh insights into the positive ways young people use the wired world in their lives."- Joe Kelly, president of Dads & Daughters and author of "Dads and Daughters: How to Inspire, Understand, and Support Your Daughter""" Hooking up via MySpace, bullying on a blog. Using a cell phone as a tracking device? Clearly, being a teen today isn't the same as it used to be. So what are LiveJournal, Xanga, Facebook, and MySpace, and what exactly are teens doing on these sites? "Totally Wired" is the first inside guide to what teens are "really" doing on the Internet and with technology today. Author Anastasia Goodstein creates an informative and accessible guide that covers topics such as social networking, blogging, cyberbullying, and much, much more. Including interviews with a cross section of industry professionals and teenagers, and loaded with fascinating statistics and revealing anecdotes, "Totally Wired" is the first guide that explains to parents in easy-to-understand terms what kids are really up to online, and arms parents with the knowledge they need to promote Internet safety.

Author Biography

Anastasia Goodstein is the creator of Ypulse, a blog that provides daily news and commentary about Generation Y for media and marketing. As a journalist, Anastasia has worked with several leading consumer magazines, online sites and network television brands including Teen People, Entertainment Weekly, Cartoon Network, Oxygen TV, Current TV and AOL.

Review

"Focusing on the pros rather than the risks, Goldstein presents a solid and accessible guide to help understand the wired generation." --Publishers Weekly

Long Description

"A must read for parents (and future parents) of teenagers. Consider Anastasia Goodstein as the daughter you totally 'get' - explaining all the behaviors of the daughter you totally don't 'get.' Consider this a parent/teen dictionary. Brilliant and lifesaving!" - Atoosa Rubenstein, former editor in chief of "Seventeen" magazine ""Totally Wired" is both an awakening and a comfort for adults who feel lost in the infinite alleys of cyberspace. Goodstein gives it to us straight - honestly examining the threats to kids, but also including fresh insights into the positive ways young people use the wired world in their lives."- Joe Kelly, president of Dads & Daughters and author of "Dads and Daughters: How to Inspire, Understand, and Support Your Daughter""" Hooking up via MySpace, bullying on a blog. Using a cell phone as a tracking device? Clearly, being a teen today isn't the same as it used to be. So what are LiveJournal, Xanga, Facebook, and MySpace, and what exactly are teens doing on these sites? "Totally Wired" is the first inside guide to what teens are "really" doing on the Internet and with technology today. Author Anastasia Goodstein creates an informative and accessible guide that covers topics such as social networking, blogging, cyberbullying, and much, much more. Including interviews with a cross section of industry professionals and teenagers, and loaded with fascinating statistics and revealing anecdotes, "Totally Wired" is the first guide that explains to parents in easy-to-understand terms what kids are really up to online, and arms parents with the knowledge they need to promote Internet safety.

Review Quote

"Focusing on the pros rather than the risks, Goldstein presents a solid and accessible guide to help understand the wired generation." -- Publishers Weekly

Description for Reading Group Guide

I wrote Totally Wired with the concerned parent in mind. With most of the media coverage focusing on the bad stuff that can happen when teens go online, including endless airings of MSNBC's "To Catch A Predator," even the most reasonable parent might be tempted to severely restrict access. The goal of this book is to be a voice of reason - to tell you what teens are actually doing online and why, to explain how teens are using their cell phones, blogs, instant messaging and social networking sites like MySpace, and to focus on the positive aspects of growing up totally wired. Technology has opened up so many possibilities for today's teens: to connect with friends across states and countries instantly, to have research and information at their finger tips, to create their own media and share it with the world. My hope is that you can use this discussion guide in parents groups, PTA meetings or even in your book club to begin to engage in a healthy dialogue about adults' crucial role in helping teens make smart choices about what they do online and how they use technology. You don't have to know HTML or know how to program a cell phone to be able to parent totally wired teens. You do have to understand what websites are popular with teens and why as well as understand how communicating in the virtual world is different than communicating face to face. This book will help. But nothing can replace going online yourself and exploring as well as talking to your teens regularly about their lives, online and off.

Excerpt from Book

Chapter One

Details