Growing Up Online

From watching Frontline’s Growing Up Online documentary, I must say that I learned much and gained insight into the perspective of parents who are simply worried about the well being of their children. It is true that we (teens and adults) have turned social networks such as MySpace and Facebook into “digital hangouts: and are living our lives online. Facebook is a very addicting site that keeps you “in synch” with the lives of your friends and family. I do agree with the researchers who think that teenagers are living double lives and have taken on an extra persona outside of who they portray themselves as in front of their parents. Teenagers mostly do this because they aren’t judged in Facebook, especially since their peers are all doing the same and because the internet is a willing listener AT ANY TIME.

As they have been called, “Generation Facebook” is most definitely immersed in a virtual world that will continue to grow and evolve. Their children in the future may only rely on technology and not know or understand the traditional way of doing things.

The documentary also speaks about the revolution in the classroom and teachers having the need to be as interactive with the students as necessary. In a sense they have to compete with all the students' technological devices because once you lose their attention, they are gone!! I was once a high school student, and even though cell phones were prohibited in school, we all found a way to get our cell phones into the school and would text each other throughout the day and even in class. When teenagers want something, they will do whatever they can to get it.

Another thing I would like to focus on is where is the line drawn with parents and their kids privacy? As a teenager, I wanted nothing more than to be as independent as possible and for my mom to respect my property. Of course she didn't, and was always snooping around my stuff, but teens these days want so much privacy but are doing wrong things with it. Where should the line be drawn? when should the parents intervene? Some should be monitored until they reach an age to understand that they cannot reveal too much information about themselves because times have changed and there are predators out there who will try their best to get another young naive teen... Think about it....