On The View we're discussing teen tech trends .... It turned into more of a safety-oriented discussion and hope it is just the start of a longer, more constructive dialogue. HERE IS THE SINGLE BEST RESOURCE FOR MORE INFO. There are several articles specific to social networking.

Without question, there's a lot of moving pieces. It dawned on me after the interview that social networking is to 2009 what ecommerce was to 1999. Back then, the #1 question was "Is it safe to use my credit card?" Now, it's "Where can I find the best deals?" On the social networking side, right now parents are scared their teems areliving secret online lives. In 10 years, they'll be encouraging them to update their profiles so they can get a job or build a business.

In the meantime, we do need to save teens from themselves. Cellphones are a bigger factor than you may think. Here are some notes on that front ... TODAY'S VOCABULARY WORD: SEXTING.

Four out of every five teens carry them and for those parents who have been on the wrong end of a huge cell phone bill, there's little doubt these handheld devices have become a "key" part of teens' social lives. While the majority of teen texting and cell phone banter is harmless, long gone are the days when if you liked a boy in class, you'd pass him a note ... A new trend is emerging that has parents and educators alarmed. It's called "sexting" (texting + sex) and simply put, it makes naughty notes that may have been passed in class by previous generations, look tame. It can also include the transmission of nude and semi-nude photos via cell phone, which can be a crime.

Photo credit: Switched.com

The ability of modern technology to turn teenage flirting on its head has some teens landing in hot water and in some cases legal trouble. News reports are increasingly documenting legal repercussions after indecent photo appear online. And attorneys say there are many unanswered questions about whether young people who send their own photos could face prosecution for obscenity or child pornography.

According to a survey of 1,280 teens and young adults by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and CosmoGirl.com, 22 percent of girls and 18 percent of boys say they have electronically sent or posted nude or semi-nude images of themselves. And about one-third of teen boys and one-quarter of teen girls say they have had nude or semi-nude images shared with them. Parents need to be tuned into what their teens are texting and how much texting they are doing.

Tips for Parents:
- Don't Panic: Just because your child is sending these kinds of messages doesn't always mean it's leading to a physical act. I've spoken with many of the accomplished doctors you see on TV all the time, and they explain kids are exploring and experimenting with their sexuality by flirting with their cell phones – and they often see it as fun or a game of sorts.

- Float the worst-case scenario: Talk with your children: make sure they fully understand that messages or pictures they send over the Internet or their cell phones are not truly private or anonymous. Kids need to know that others might forward their pictures or messages to people they do not know or want to see them. Show your children stories in the media about other teens who made mistakes and got in trouble for it.

- Turn them Off: I've noticed my daughter sleeping with her phone, which means she's staying up way too late texting. And, I don't want HER to be the kid keeping other kids up. Plus, pre-teens get a little punchy at night (remember the last sleepover you hosted?) You can actually customize your service to turn off. Ask your cell provider if you think this would be a useful feature.

What Teens can Do:
If you receive unwanted text messages, first ask the texter to stop sending them – if they don't stop, you can take action by "blocking" the number.

"Sexting" Shorthand:
You've likely heard of LOL, short for "Laugh Out Loud," but "sexting" has a spawned a shorthand of it's own. Here are a couple common abbreviations:

tdtm = talk dirty to me
durs = damn you are sexy

Find more on NetLingo.com and NoSlang.com.

Related posts: What You Need to Know about Your Teen's Facebook, Teen Tech Trends: Parents are on it!