This last weekend was a busy weekend in the Ford household. All three kiddos had birthdays. The girl-child turned 14, and the twins five. Every year, I look back and think about when they were babies, and how I miss that time. Right up until I remember the lack of sleep, dirty diapers, and smelly formula, that is.
My husband and I took Grace and two of her friends to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier on Saturday. We, of course, sat in a different part of the theater, knowing that they would be mortified had we chosen to sit with them. That is how it is when you are 14 - I can still remember feeling that way myself.
Teens today really aren't that much different than teens from the 1970's and 80's. They are still unsure of where they stand in society - are they old children or young adults, or something else altogether? They know their parents are not perfect, but they still want their approval at some level (even if they won't ever admit it). They want their independence, but sometimes aren't as ready for it as they think, and have to learn that lesson for themselves.
One way teens today have of asserting their independence and growing their world is access to information. It's not new that they have it (we did, too), but they have access to more information in many more forms. I could live in fear of this information overload, but I choose to embrace this instead. Yes, more ways of being connected = more ways your child can find themselves in some bad trouble. But, more ways of being connected ALSO = more opportunities for exposure to the world and all its diversity. For a child like my daughter, who is in no way a social butterfly, this is a wonderful thing.
Yes, she has a Facebook account, but mostly lurks, rarely posts. No, she's not on Instagram, and has no interest in it, Twitter, or the many other social media platforms available. She has email, but rarely checks it. What she DOES do is interact with others anonymously, and sometimes not, through online worlds such as NeoPets, and following web comics. She uses Wikipedia to look up items of interest to her, but understands that it is not guaranteed to have correct or complete information posted on a subject - it's a starting point, that is all.
My daughter uses the internet to find episodes of her favorite anime shows that have not yet aired on Cartoon Network, for example. Often, these shows are in Japanese, and the intro and closing sequences have been altered for an American audience. Not only is she enjoying her shows, she's learning more about how production companies can make changes to shows to make them fit the needs/requirements of their audiences and/or the networks airing the shows. She's followed up on news items she's seen on TV, and read the first couple pages of her summer reading assignment on Amazon.com to get a sense of what she's in for once she actually buys the book. She's sharing what she's learning with me, too.
I am loving this. My daughter and I are learning and growing together. We've talked about what she finds on the internet, whether it is a list of characters a certain voice actress portrays, or the stupid antics of certain teen idols (she really dislikes several of them that others love). She's told me what she thinks of that summer reading book topic. She's shared her favorite web comic with me. I've learned about random generator sites that I never knew existed because of her.
I trust my daughter to do what is right when it comes to accessing the internet and social media. We learned internet safety in Girl Scouts, and have done our best to internalize the rules we were taught back when she was a Brownie. Do I trust the rest of the world? No. But I do know that as long as she and I can share her experiences in this area, she'll share with me if she is uncomfortable with what she finds there, too.
I hope that you will all take the time to learn about all the wonderful things waiting out there on the internet if you aren't already into them. If you are reading this, you already know at least a little about blogs. Ask your kid - you may find yourselves in a great bonding experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment