growing up online

[sleddogg]

Just saw an episode of Frontline on PBS called "Growing Up Online" (can be viewed online at pbs.org I think). Pretty interesting dealing with todays teens and the effects of this cyber world we keep turning out. Predators, bullying, cheating on schoolwork, facebook, myspace, private lives, parental trust, and at times certain tragedy are all explored as well as some benefits. All very interesting and gets me wondering what my 2 and a half year old will be up to when he's 13 and I'm 50. Anyway, check it out.

[jonmnelson]

I saw this too. One of the messages I took from it was that kids shouldn't be allowed to have computers in their rooms, where it's more difficult to monitor their activities. I also won't be allowing either of my two kids to spend all day on the computer, no matter where it's located. I guess there are no easy answers, but parental involvement in what your kids are doing, and who they're doing it with, seems critical, as it has always been.

[cabinetman]

[Ed62]

I didn't see it, but I can imagine what was on the program. Keeping a close eye on kids who get on the internet is a must. And, unfortunately, even that doesn't always work.

Ed

[Mrs. Wallnut]

I didn't see the program but I can say that this is so true. My twins, almost 12, are in 6th grade and a couple of their classes are using a new program that our school district is trying called Moodle. They can do tests and a couple of other things on line now. Also almost every class they have has a "website" to check homework and grades. I am not sure if I like the idea of the kids taking tests and other things on line, I thought that is what classrooms were for. But it is a new generation and a new era with the internet.

On the other hand I like the idea of being able to access my kids grades to see how they are doing. We also monitor the kids while they are on the computer and I like to look at the websites they are going on to before I let them have the computer and then I will only let them on the computer for 30 minutes a piece. I don't agree with letting them sitting in front of a computer for hours on end.

[LinuxRandal]

I watched it and see both sides of the issue, along with things not covered.

As a Gen x'er, who grew up with computers, I understand it more then some of the parents on the program. Heck I understand them more then some of my generation (which runs a gamet).

This isn't anything new, as a few years ago, the big deal was to impliment restrictions on programs and websites they have access to. Yet the software they used, wasn't designed for multiple users and multitasking, so it didn't have a good securtiy model, hence the kids were able to bring up IE (in the cases I remember), from programs like Word, that they were supposed to be doing.

Even locking your systems down (using another OS, family room pc, etc), won't prevent kids from doing things outside the home, or even inside, with other devices like cell phones etc. And we started this whole mess (still not a cell phone user, po'd that they took off and I can't hardly find a pay phone).

From what I saw (wasn't awake for the whole program), this doesn't even cover area's like Data mining to market toward teenagers.

[jlm]

Seems like the simple answer is: be involved in your kids' lives. Know what they're doing. Doesn't matter if they're using a computer or canoeing - parents ought to keep track of what their kids do and who they do it with. I don't really see the internet as adding much danger to what is an age-old problem.

This all strikes me as almost identical to the hysterias over rock music, video games, "Dungeons & Dragons", you name it, and somebody's gonna use it to scare parents. Every few years there's a new bogeyman, and the answer is always the same - young kids and teens need parental supervision. That's why we don't call them "adults".

[George Cole]

People of my generation had parents that survived the great depression. We could not relate. Our parents went to work for the almighty dollar so we would not have to do without. We became accustomed. Some of us decided to get jobs we actually liked and enjoyed and our parents worried if we would succeed. Each generation goes through its own growing process. Think what our parents worried about with our generations outside influence's. With this generation I don't have a clue and the best I can do is ask questions, be a total pain in the ass until I really get a explaination..not unlike my parents..