Growing Up Online

The Frontline special on teens growing up online was a good overview of the many ways that kids use the internet and technology today and some of the dangers and complications that can arise from these things. For kids, it is extremely important to have access to the internet and the various features that it offers so that they can be social with their friends and stay up to date. It would be social suicide for a kid today to be without the internet, regardless of all the benefits it has for education. It is almost more important to a student's social life than it is for their education.

I don't think that this social networking on the internet is a bad thing. I think it offers kids a variety of ways to connect with other kids and to express their interests. For kids that may not feel like they fit in with their peers at their school, there are a variety of ways and places that they can connect with and meet other kids on the internet. It allows kids to find their nitch and their interests. Also, kids feel more comfortable saying and doing things online than they would in person, so it allows them to express themselves more freely than they might at school or in front of their peers.

I do not really think it is necessary to worry about the impact of the internet on kids, because there are always going to be new and different ways to impact kids. In the past there was just as much impact, it just came in a different form. When our generation was growing up, parents and teachers had to deal with different issues on how we were being influenced and now we must do the same for the future generation and this cycle will continue forever. There is always going to be a new and different way to impact kids, but the information will be there no matter how it is present, whether that be a newsletter or the internet.

I don't have any specific story to share, but I do remember being at friends' houses and going into chat rooms even though we were told to never do that. We would talk to complete strangers and not think anything of it. Looking back, I can finally understand the worry and stress that this might cause a parent. I never really understood their point of view until I got older and realized all the dangers. I think that it is important to explain the importance and significance of putting certain things on the web to kids, but I also think that it is important for them to explore a bit and understnad what it is all about in order to see the potential dangers. We cannot cut kids off from the internet, nor should we want to, so we must prepare them for the future and show them the right way to present themselves on the internet.