[flickr id=”5888954984″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]The tween-into-teenage years were a nightmare for me. Labeled as a nerd, unpopular – oh, my I still have nightmares about middle school. Tortured, lost – it battered my low self-esteem into a pulpy puddle of goo.

In high school – once we moved 527 miles away to Indiana – I found friends. I had a group that I became a part of where I belonged and I still talk to some of them today.  As an adult I can say that I’m grateful for the internet as it has allowed me to expand my circle of friends. My best friend is someone I met online, and I would never have met my Geek-Girl peeps without the power of this internet world we live in.

I never thought I would be the one saying…

THANK HEAVENS I DIDN’T HAVE THE INTERNET IN MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL.

Because, really. Thank heavens I didn’t.

Now that the teen is on the internet we’re having to create a new set of rules.  From “Mom has access to ALL your accounts, and you’d better remember that” to “Don’t post intentionally hurtful things.”

For a while things got ugly. Internet privileges and the iPod have been revoked until proper ‘netiquette’ has been learned.

It’s a process that we are all learning together.

I am very glad I didn’t have to worry about such things at that age. It’s hard enough being a teen without everything happening at the speed of internet.