Today’s teens know more about technology than we as adults do. They are connected well and stay connected for longer duration than we adults do. This creates a challenge for parents and teachers, who are working to nurture the lives of these kids. I would like to highlight some key points that may help parents better understand the current dynamics.
According to Pew Internet & American Life Project (PewInternet.org), the vast majority (93% & above) of young people of ages 12 to 17 are online. What do they do online? Most of the time, they IM, message or interact through online games & on social networking sites such as Facebook, My Space etc. In today’s web 2.0 world, creating, collaborating and sharing are the purpose of these interactions. Our children share pictures, videos, create content & collaborate on them as well. Research suggests that boys tend to play more online games and are likely to use gaming consoles than girls. On the other hand, girls are more likely to be content creators, bloggers and social networkers. On one side, it is good news that it improves their tech & problem-solving skills and their tech confidence. At the same time, it provides more likelihood for cyber bullying, inappropriate interactions and also for leaving inappropriate digital footprints on the web.
The key lessons that our kids need to be taught are:
- Personal information is private and cannot be revealed in the open web.
- Inappropriate interactions need to be reported to an adult (either parent or teacher) whom they feel confident to talk to.
- Posting pictures and videos of themselves is something that is going to stay forever and any inappropriate ones (thought to be fun) would return to haunt them later in their life or career.
- Understanding all information posted on the web need not be valid and it is important to check the validity of the information before they use it.
Here is where the adults’ role comes in. It may be increasingly the kids (Digital) world but we are the adults here. Despite a gap in techno-intuition, parents and educators still play a critical role in guiding today’s ’Net generation in their use of technology at home and in the classroom. We need to monitor our kids’activities online, teach them social etiquette and maintain a continuous dialogue about a child’s interests and activities online to keep them safe.
Today’s parents may lack in technology experience but not in life experience. Traditional life skills, manners and safety practices still play an important role and they can be applied to online activities to help today’s young people become responsible digital citizens.
There are some tools and tips that would help you connect well with your teens and stay savvy, which I will discuss in the weeks to come.
Keep reading ….
