Don't let technology grow distance. Keep up with clever technology and your kids.
Problems
Technology
Staying young with technology
As a young college student, I can relate to a teenager's excitement when it comes to technology. I mean, you have to be up-to-date with the latest technology equipment and gadgets to be cool, right? You don't want to be “old-fashion” do you?
And as a college student entering a multimedia field, I must admit that I love technology, and I think it's great to be involved with the changing of times which is so rapid today. It's really hard to keep up with it all!
Perhaps the hardest thing to keep up with, especially for a parent, is the way people communicate through all of these technology devices. It seems like it was just a snap of the fingers when e-mail picked up speed, AOL instant messenger went crazy, and people started posting their personal biographies on their own MySpace web pages. And this is not even the tip of the iceberg.
It's true that most of these communicative inventions carry many benefits; however, you must have a full understanding of how to use these tools appropriately to receive their true advantage.
It's like driving a car
Parents should look at giving technology freedom to their child like they would when giving them the freedom to drive a car.
There should be steps, like Drivers Ed, in getting this freedom. You don't just throw it all to your child at once. There are dangerous drivers out there! Every driver's identity is masked by their car and barking horn—just like how a person can be masked behind a computer screen or unknown number. You really don't know who you are dealing with. And let's just say your child does know who they're dealing with—do you? Do you know all of your child's friends?
When you give the keys to your teenager for the first time after they receive their license, what are you really giving them? Let me tell you: your trust.
You trust they will make responsible decisions and fully understand the rules of the road. There are boundaries on the road for a purpose, but it doesn't mean you can't break them and cause an “accident.”
Do you trust your teenager to see those boundaries while they instant message someone with the screenname “imacrook247” or when they post personal pictures and life stories on their blogs open to the worldwide public?
Again, I'm not giving technology a bad name, but you must be careful and fully understand it to even be aware of the dangers. So please read the related sections to catch back up with the technology that never grows old.
