I agree we need to be aware of what our kids are doing electronically. I think bullying, especially through the social media avenues, are a huge contributors to these shootings. These outcast kids get bullied every waking hour, not just during school hours like the old days. It's relentless for them. And their parents are often un-aware, as are the parents of those kids doing the bullying! After the fact we tend to discover the shooters were reading about past shootings, watching videos about columbine, getting bullied, etc. ... after-the-fact discovery is too late.
mine are still younger, but we have had some very serious teachable moments already, and they aren't yet using social media. For instance, my son loves youtube. His current life goal is to be a "youtuber" like DanTDM (ie playing video games for a living and doing commentary). He gets youtube only when an adult is in the room (internet devices all have passwords and his tablets/gaming devices aren't connected). He has clicked off into "similar videos" on YouTube that are horrible, especially at his age.... sometimes it was over his head and he didn't get what was so wrong; sometimes what he saw kept him from sleeping for a week. That led to the "adult must be present" rule. As they get older, I'm sure that will get relaxed, though I best not see browsers minimized when I walk into a room or history will be searched....
And that's not the worst of the "teachable moments" we've shared already, by far. We're still at that point of trying to impress the difference between good online content and bad, good device usage and bad, etc. How do you have those teachable moments if you are oblivious to their activities?
Once the kids are older, should we trust they will do the right thing. Well yes.... however.... I'm a fan of the phrase "trust but verify." Maybe that means you have to be allowed to have the password to any device/account they have. Will you use it? Or will just the nagging thought that you could be that angel on their shoulder when they are tempted to go to the website they shouldn't or share the picture of themselves they shouldn't or say the mean thing they shouldn't...
Social media is the wild west. It can be hard for adults to navigate the scams, bullying, stalking, sexual predators, peer pressure, etc, let alone a teen or pre-teen.
Growing up my internet usage was limited... Limited how long the modem tied up the phone line, limited by the 28.8k dial-up data rates (man was that nice compared to 14.4... then in college I went to 56k and finally broadband wow!). I don't think I can compare how I was raised with internet to the way internet and social medial has been intertwined in our lives over the last decade or so....
my 2c.
parenting sucks. there is no "follow this guide to success" pamphlet included upon delivery of the kids. We just have to do the best we can and what we think is right....
-rvb
mine are still younger, but we have had some very serious teachable moments already, and they aren't yet using social media. For instance, my son loves youtube. His current life goal is to be a "youtuber" like DanTDM (ie playing video games for a living and doing commentary). He gets youtube only when an adult is in the room (internet devices all have passwords and his tablets/gaming devices aren't connected). He has clicked off into "similar videos" on YouTube that are horrible, especially at his age.... sometimes it was over his head and he didn't get what was so wrong; sometimes what he saw kept him from sleeping for a week. That led to the "adult must be present" rule. As they get older, I'm sure that will get relaxed, though I best not see browsers minimized when I walk into a room or history will be searched....
And that's not the worst of the "teachable moments" we've shared already, by far. We're still at that point of trying to impress the difference between good online content and bad, good device usage and bad, etc. How do you have those teachable moments if you are oblivious to their activities?
Once the kids are older, should we trust they will do the right thing. Well yes.... however.... I'm a fan of the phrase "trust but verify." Maybe that means you have to be allowed to have the password to any device/account they have. Will you use it? Or will just the nagging thought that you could be that angel on their shoulder when they are tempted to go to the website they shouldn't or share the picture of themselves they shouldn't or say the mean thing they shouldn't...
Social media is the wild west. It can be hard for adults to navigate the scams, bullying, stalking, sexual predators, peer pressure, etc, let alone a teen or pre-teen.
Growing up my internet usage was limited... Limited how long the modem tied up the phone line, limited by the 28.8k dial-up data rates (man was that nice compared to 14.4... then in college I went to 56k and finally broadband wow!). I don't think I can compare how I was raised with internet to the way internet and social medial has been intertwined in our lives over the last decade or so....
my 2c.
parenting sucks. there is no "follow this guide to success" pamphlet included upon delivery of the kids. We just have to do the best we can and what we think is right....
-rvb
