"Growing Up Online"

Rachel Dretzin and John Maggi's video (2008), "Growing Up Online" shows how many teens are using their spare time on the internet and how parents work themselves up over this. It touched base on all the negatives about the internet, but nothing about the positives. If it weren't for the internet, we wouldn't have all the communication capabilites that we need and have now. We wouldn't have the resources we need to get our everyday work done.

If it were any normal parent watching this video, it would scare them like crazy. Always wondering what their kids are doing, what they are looking at, who they are talking to, etc. The internet is capable of causing a lot of damage between families, I guess that may be one reason why parents are so uptight about what their teens are doing on the computer and why. However, it shows how much parents don't know. As Thersea has stated, "It shows the huge gap between the teens and their parents."

I agree with what Professor Daniels has linked in her blog, "We need to start thinking about our kids less as victims and more as participants." Parents are quick to think we are doing something bad on the internet. Sometimes that's all you can expect from certain teens, but not everyone is alike. Parents need to trust their kids, not consider them victims of the internet. If we were all on the same level, maybe things wouldn't be as difficult for parents to understand. Technology today is booming and it is hard for parents to keep up. I know my mom and dad are still getting the hang of things, my mom quicker than my dad. I am personally not a victim of using the internet in inappropriate ways. If I was do you think I'd help them become more accustom to my bad habits?

Images are from flikr.