4. If someone asks you to send a sexy photo, remember that even with Snapchat (which "evaporates" the photo), the
      picture can be copied and forwarded to others. Anyone could see it -- every kid in the school, your teachers,
      your parents.
      It happens all the time to great kids. Just don't send it. And talk to your parents about it.

 5.  If you receive a sexy photo, mmediately delete it from your phone, tell your parents, and block the number so you can't
      receive more. Possession or distribution of sexual pictures of people who are underage is illegal. If the person who sent it
      to you asks why, just say "It's illegal. Let's talk instead."

 6.  Never post your cell phone number on Facebook, or broadcast it beyond your friends (because it leaves you open to
      stalking.)

 7.  Never broadcast your location, except in a direct text to friends (because it leaves you open to stalking.) Don't use
      location apps that post your location.

 8.  Never respond to numbers you don't recognize.

 9.  If you receive an unsolicited text, that's spam.  Don't click on it. Instead, tell your parents so they can report the problem
      and have the caller blocked.

10. Don't download apps without your parents' permission. 

11. Don't spend your baby-sitting money all in one place.  You don’t need web-surfing or ringtones. Get unlimited texts so
      you don’t have to worry about budgeting.

12. Don’t wear your cell phone on your body and don’t use it if you can use a landline. Cell phones are always looking for a
      signal, and that means they're sending out waves that you don't want going through your body. Cancer? Maybe. We
      don't know enough yet. So why not just be cautious?

13. Set up your charging station in the living room, so your phone is not in your room at night.

14. No cell phones at the dining room table.

15. No cell phones out of your backpack while you're in class.  And of course turn the sound off.

16. Have a life.  Don’t feel obligated to respond to texts right away and don’t text until homework is done, during dinner, or
       after 9pm.

17. L8R – Later! If you’re driving, turn off your cell phone and put it in a bag where you can’t reach it in the back seat. (Make
       sure you have directions before you start out.) Cars kill people.

18. Nothing replaces FtF.   If a “friend” sends you a mean message, take a deep breath and turn off your phone.Talk to them
       the next day, Face to Face, about it. Never say anything via text that you wouldn’t say Face to Face.

19. Monitor your phone usage to prevent addiction.
       

Our brains get a little rush of dopamine every time we interact with our phones, so every text you send or receive, every post or update, feels good. Why is that a problem? Because it can distract us from other things that are important but maybe not so immediately rewarding, like connecting with our families, doing our homework, and just thinking about life.

 

To prevent addiction, make sure you block out time every day -- like while you have dinner and do homework -- when your phone is off. If you feel like that's too hard, talk to your parents about it and ask for their help.

 

There are programs that prevent your phone from being used at times you designate.