It is now commonplace to interact with others digitally instead of face-to-face. Whether it be e-mailing co-workers, reconnecting with friends on social media websites, or sending text messages to a significant other, there are countless ways to communicate that don't involve actually talking. While these technologies have made life easier in many ways, they have also created a sort of new frontier in criminal law and punishment.

This is because many activities that we believe are innocent and private are, in fact, not at all so. For example, a teenager who sends his girlfriend an illicit photo of himself could very well find himself charged with child pornography or a similar sex crime. If convicted, he could be sent to prison, required to pay a fine, and forced to register as a sex offender for several years.

Therefore, teenagers and adults alike need to be very careful about what they post on Facebook or send in an email or text message. Teens, especially, should remember that these seemingly innocent activities can result in charges of defamation, intellectual dishonesty, invasion of privacy, hacking, identity theft, copyright infringement, child pornography, or obscenity, among many others.

Although teenagers may technically be minors, any criminal convictions could follow them for a lifetime. For example, if a child is near the age of 18, a court could decide to charge him or her as an adult, complete with a jail sentence in an adult prison and the damaging stigma of that conviction.

Parents should continually remind teenagers that their actions online are not anonymous. In addition, parents should monitor their child's social media and digital technology to ensure that they are not engaging in behavior that may carry legal consequences.

Source: Security News, "How Online Misbehavior Lands Teens in Legal Trouble," Sue Marquette Poremba, Sept. 12, 2011