" Mission Impossible " App.

This morning, as presents are unwrapped under the Christmas tree it is a fair bet that many teenagers will be expecting to see a shiny new tablet as a gift from their parents.    The " Tablet " in all it's forms is the newest miracle gizmo from the world of electronics and it can do just about everything in a computer's capacity - but in slimmer, lighter form.

Coincidentally, on Friday a new Facebook Poke App was released that will bring older parents memories back to that popular television series -" Mission Impossible".    You may remember it's introductory scene.  A secret agent receives a tape with his mission instructions - with the warning that " it will destruct in five seconds ".

This new App - which is a free download - allows users to post photographs to friends - with the capacity to make them self destruct after a nominated number of seconds.    It is on the screen briefly - and then gone forever in three - five or maybe ten seconds.

Sounds like fun - but there could be a sinister side.   This would seem to be the perfect tool for teenagers under peer pressure to indulge in "sexting." - and for the uninitiated - that means exchanging nude photographs between boyfriends and girlfriends.

Some may be deluded into thinking that self destructing photographs are harmless.   Just a quick peek - and that erasure delivers security.  It ignores the fact that the receiver may take a screenshot - and the picture may live on forever - and one day come back to haunt the subject.

Many people who later became celebrities have been humiliated by indiscreet pictures that they had long forgotten.   In some cases this has ruined promising political careers, and in others the embarrassment has caused them to step down from a lucrative competition.

Today's teenagers live in a world of intense peer pressure.  To refuse to go with the crowd is a definite reversal of " cool " - and to be avoided at all costs.   It is hard to imagine why anybody would want to see automatic self destruction of holiday scenes shared amongst friends.   The very nature of this App suggests activity to be hidden from all - but a chosen few.

We live in an ever changing world and this is just one of the traps that lay in wait for adventurous teenagers.    Tablets are a fact of life and many will be unwrapped this morning - and that  App is a reality - just waiting to be free downloaded.

Parents are limited to giving good advice - and hoping their teenager has the good sense to impose reasonable limitations !