According to the PBS presentation “Growing up Online”, many children adapt into the social-networking life. The teenagers stated that they can find their real identity through the world and they can make many friends online more than in reality. However, the parents were worry about all things their children do on the internet. At the same time, the relationships and communications between parents and their children are getting worse. From all the examples showed in the “Growing up Online” videos, we are not only seeing the confidence that the children build from the internet but also the troubles they get from the internet. At the end, Parry Aftab who’s the Executive Directer of WiredSafety.com suggested children to be kind to others, “Stop, Block, and Tell” to the people who threaten them and to use technology responsibly. And Danah Boyd from the Harvard Berkman Center for Internet & Society suggested parents not only restrict their children from going online but also need to teach themselves and their children to live a good quality life.
I learned that children need to be wise on what they are doing. Parents will not be able to protect them from danger if they built a wall between their parents and themselves. It is human nature that parents wish to protect their children from getting hurt but they do not know how to. I just want to share to all of you that getting online is always fun but need to be careful because everything you put online will be exposed to everyone. It is easy to share whatever you want to share but it is hard to remove you have put online. Be responsible and have fun guys :)
