Friday, January 25, 2008

Growing Up Online

This week I watched the PBS Frontline show called Growing Up Online. (Of course I didn't watch it when it was broadcast, I tivo'ed it and watched it yesterday morning!) I first heard about this episode while it was in production ... the co-producer/director (John Maggio) is a friend & colleague of my husband and a fellow parent at our local playground. At the time we discussed this show, I was just starting to formulate my transition from educational technology consultant to someone who (in some yet-to-be-determined way) consults with families and schools about the general use of technology in our children's lives. In some ways, this film is sums up everything I want to professionally research and explore in the near future.

(watch a 6 min. clip)





Because of that, it's hard to evaluate this film objectively. While I didn't learn anything new -- I've been investigating how pre-teens/teens are using social media and listening to parents & teachers grouch about "kids these days" for a while now -- I was really impressed with the presentation of material. Creating a balanced, non-judgmental look at teens & technology is not easy, and these producers did a great job of showing both cautionary tales and positive outcomes.

However, I don't think the producers went deep enough into the developmental reasons why teens seek out spaces to create new identities (with the goal of keeping them separate/hidden from their parents) yet choose to expose themselves in ways people of my generation and older can't fathom. Why these technologies -- social networking sites, YouTube, multi-player video games -- over others? Is there a new aspect of adolescent development that we need to identify and explore?

And while teens openly say they are doing things in this medium they wouldn't do IRL (in real life), based on the amount of time spent online - it seems like this is their real life. Which brings me another question: is it just that teens just aren't developmentally ready to handle life in a virtual world? If so - what can we really do? We can't age them faster - it's a matter of time and experience, not facility with the technology.

Honestly, this is probably just the same way my parents felt about giving me a car when I was 16. Real danger vs. trust, independence, and responsibility. It's the classic teenage conundrum, and if you are knowledgeable enough about social media and new technologies to have ongoing conversations with your teen, a lot of danger can (hopefully!) be avoided. But what if it can't because there are too many variables out of anyone control? The risk is quite real.

Overall, I highly recommended that parents watch this show, and watch/discuss it with their teenage kids - they should see the Parent Perspective on their online lives. I also recommend reading other people's reactions to the film -- links are listed to blog posts and podcasts that review Growing Up Online, plus the show's official website.

READ MORE:

Posted by at