Teenage girls with long, brown cigarettes hanging from their mouths in what I think was supposed to be a “sexy” pose was the photo that popped up on my Facebook page this week.
That photo led to a series of others. Some of the girls I knew well. Others I did not. The girl who posted them I’ve never met, but since I’m “friends” with one of the other teens in the pictures the photos landed on my page as well as countless others.
The attached comments from the now 18-year-old girls in the pictures indicated they were taken when they were around 15 years old.
The online photo album was titled “Flashback.”
There was the charming one of them all appearing quite “trashed” pig-piled on top of one another on a couch drinking cheap beer.
And my personal favorite — three girls huddled together lifting their shirts to expose their breasts.
I stewed on it for a couple of days and finally posted my own comment.
“Charming” I wrote. “And I’m sure your future potential employers will be tickled as well.”
Before all Bangor area parents hop on over to my Facebook page to see whom I’m talking about, be assured these teens were not from this part of the state and I have since deleted it from my page. It will, however, forever be hovering in cyberspace ready to be lifted and copied and pasted wherever an Internet surfer chooses to put it.
Your daughter was not there — this time.
Also this week the news broke that nine teenagers, including a clique of seven girls, were charged criminally in relation to the January death of a 15-year-old Massachusetts girl who hanged herself from a stairwell in her home after enduring months of brutal bullying, much of it done through texting and cyberspace.
Next week, in our own community, parents and educators have the opportunity to gather together and hear a professional presentation on how technology is dominating and changing the lives of our kids.
Retired Bangor police Officer Dan Frazell began such presentations in 1993 when as Bangor’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer he became concerned watching kids reacting to music played at the annual D.A.R.E. Dance.
“It started primarily as a way to familiarize parents with the lyrics of the music their kids were listening to, but since then Internet social networks, violent video games, texting and sexting has erupted, and my presentation is much different,” he said.
What Frazell refers to as “high-tech cheating” is addressed as well as cyberbullying.
“It is intended to show parents the dark side of this world and how vulnerable their children really are,” he told me.
Frazell will conduct his free presentation from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, at Center Drive School in Orrington.
Parents and educators are encouraged to attend.
It is at times graphic and explicit, and no one under age 18 is allowed to attend.
Wednesday’s presentation will be the 666th that Frazell has conducted all across Canada and the United States from Alaska to Nova Scotia and from Florida to California.
He has presented at conferences for police officers, parents, educators and juvenile workers.
He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from D.A.R.E International, two Maine Lifetime Achievement awards and the Governor’s Award for Leadership with the Youth of Maine.
More important, he’s the father of four.
Oftentimes more than 1,000 people turn out to hear him all across the country.
I’m just saying. It may be worth your while to attend.