GENERATION SEXT: Parents, it's time to parent

KIDS as young as 10 are now being pulled into this new wave of out-of-control teenagers.

Sexting can often have legal implications for high school students.Photo Will Hunter / Dalby Herald. Picture: Will Hunter

I THINK some of the children of today have lost their minds.

Reports of kids as young as 10 are now being pulled into this new wave of out-of-control teenagers, "Generation Sext" where sending a naked selfie to the boy or girl you like is the coolest thing to do since zebra-stripe foils in your hair.

I can remember when I was 10, I was too busy trying to record every episode of The Saddle Club on VHS so I could watch it on repeat when I came home from school - a far cry from any scantily-clad photoshoot in my bedroom.

So why on Earth are children - not even teenagers - feeling the need to send nudes to their school mates?

Is the pressure to fit in really that bad nowadays? I guess it's the fact nearly half of all Australian children aged between eight and 13 have mobile phones, which is also crazy to me, and things like Snapchat are just fuelling the fire.

But ultimately I think it's up to the parents to parent.

Teach them how to be individuals and be strong enough not to give into pressure and jump on social bandwagons just because their peers are.

Show them it's okay to sometimes not be included in group activities if the group is doing something they're not comfortable with. And encourage them to make new friends if the ones they've got are leading them astray.

Yes, I know, it's far easier said than done, but parents really need to take a stand before it gets any more out of control.

Originally published as GENERATION SEXT: Parents, it's time to parent