Internet-savvy kids need parental intervention

I graduated from college at a time when pagers were the gadgets of choice for “real-time” communication. I could count on one hand the number of people I knew who were already text-messaging. Today, even my 11-year-old son has a cell phone. What a huge difference less than 15 years make.

If we’re talking about technology, certainly, the advances in 15 years feel like the progress of a hundred generations, considering the frenetic pace at which technology evolves, and with it, the various capabilities of media. As a parent, I marvel at the creative and educational resources available to my children – literally – at their fingertips. But the media resources available to our children today also bring with them issues and challenges of which a well-informed parent needs to stay abreast.

The Challenge of Content

I remember my friend’s predicament while helping her daughter prepare for an exam. She had to drill her daughter on the commutative, associative, and distributive properties of multiplication – which she had, of course, long forgotten with time. A quick consultation with site she googled refreshed her memory and allowed her to move on with the tutoring session. Now that’s an example of Internet content put to good, productive use. Never before has information been so easily accessible.

But just as accessible is the inappropriate content that my impressionable 11-year-old might stumble upon and not be ready for. A parent of this generation needs to know how to keep their kids safe on the Internet. In the same way, how many parents have begun to distrust TV and movie rating systems that don’t share their standards for what is appropriate for children?

Certainly, today’s content-rich environment challenges parents to be aware of what their children get exposed to. Parents are challenged to persevere in teaching values despite what popular media shows their kids. Parents must now spend time watching the shows their kids watch, or surfing the sites their kids surf.

The Challenge of Creativity

I marvel at what my son can do with the clever software out there these days. What “old school” artists would take weeks to accomplish, my son can produce in a matter of minutes. The technology to lay out books, modify photographs, create audio-visual presentations and web sites are now all within a novice’s reach.

I wonder however about “other forms of creativity” in this high-technology age, for instance. Let's look at the creativity required to write an original essay, for instance. Since content is just a “copy-paste” away on the internet, do students still exercise their ability to think up original ideas and express these in their own words? What about the creativity that a four-year-old needs to build an imaginary city out of building blocks? Since TV and video games offer a more sensory-stimulating means of entertainment with much less kinesthetic effort, TV and video games are becoming more enticing than good, old-fashioned outdoor play.

It seems to me that it takes a whole lot more, nowadays, to get a child engaged in activities that require prolonged thinking, planning, and bodily movement. While today’s technology gives our children amazing means to express their creativity, parents are challenged to maintain a balance in the activities their children engage in. Parents need to ensure that their children take part in activities that cultivate all areas of their intellectual and physical development.

The Challenge of Connectivity

One of my son’s best friends is transferring schools this year and, needless to say, my son is very disappointed. But he consoles himself with the fact that they will still see each other at Tae Kwon Do training, also adding, “I can always see him on Facebook.” Never before has it been this easy to keep in touch with friends (no matter where on this planet they reside), thanks to social networking sites, cell phones, email and online chat. 

But as many Facebook users know, connectivity is addictive. Hours upon hours can be spent viewing other people’s Facebook pages, reading their updates, and commenting on their status messages. And it isn’t just social networking sites we’re addicted to. Think of their reliance on email and cell phones. Do any of us remember how we got along without them? The majority of parents I know would rather turn their car around to retrieve a cell phone left at home, than go through the entire day without it. Our teenagers are spending more and more time (and money) on text messaging and talking on their cell phones.

The challenge of connectivity goes beyond our addiction to the devices that keep us connected. Parents need to be aware of the people with whom their children connect. We can’t always be sure that the person on the other end of a chat conversation is who he claims to be, and that he poses no risks to our children’s safety. As great as today’s technology is, it has certainly opened doors for unscrupulous characters to exploit our children.

Certainly, the challenges parents face today are more complex than those of past generations who did not have email, text, and internet to contend with. While the benefits we derive from today’s technology are undeniable, those benefits come with the need to assess their effects on our children’s welfare, learning and development. Perhaps the best weapons we have against any negative effects are: being aware, staying informed, and establishing strong relational bonds with our children. This blog was created, precisely with this in mind. 

The articles you will find here aim to help parents by:

    * Providing information on the effects of today’s technology on our children’s learning and development; and 

    * Providing practical tips to help parents maximize the learning opportunities that today’s technology offers.

Other articles on parenting in today's high tech world will grow on this site, so visit us often!

ANGELA ABAYA-GARCIA has worked for multinational corporations as project officer and team leader. She now divides her time between doing freelance editorial or consulting work and being a mother to 11 year-old Enzo and one year-old Amanda.