Superior Health & Safety Day

Today was the Superior Health and Safety day at the fairgrounds. The event went from 12:00noon to 5:00pm. I worked a booth for 4-H and used the time to mostly discuss enrollment and internet safety with parents. I handed out an internet contract for youth and their families to discuss and establish healthy "surfing" rules. I also talked about the dangers (and benefits) of online social networking. I liked being able to discuss with families and help them better understand the internet. The biggest surprise for me was the fact that parents are truly interested in learning the "lingo" of their kids. Most were not aware of emotions and acronyms that are commonly used. (ie: PAW meaning Parents are Watching) That being said, not all emotions and acronyms are bad. LOL means Laughing out loud, or :-) is used to convey that you are smiling. These are often important because you cannot directly see the person you are "talking to" on the computer. Emotions and Acronyms are just the "body language" of the high tech world.