Social Networking

[Laura Pearle]

At MPOW we just had The Talk by a member of the Westchester DA (he spoke with parents of middle schoolers, and then with grades 5/6 and 7/8). Parents seem to really want the scare tactics, but this article suggests (as did Anastasia Goodstein) that we really don't need to/shouldn't waste time bothering: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/us/20internet.html?_r=1&th&am...

[Holly Weimar]

The Talk scares those who are already following the rules. It may even keep them from fully participating in the social network environment where most of their peers are active. Recently I heard danah boyd speak. She led me to think about helicopter parents who watch over their kids so much that those kids seek out places to go where their parents cannot venture. Kids need time to work out their growth in social situations one way or another or they will grow up without some of the necessary social skills that their peers own. They are unable to interact naturally when parents are involved in every conversation that they have. As Anastasia Goodstein and boyd point out, do we really need to know or read everything that is posted on their wall of My Space or Facebook when it consists of validation, affection, or cultural currency?

We should educate about the cyberbullying, trolling, and other harmful behaviors and offer ways to handle it just as we do outside of the cyberworld. However, we do not need to lock kids out of it and scare their parents to death!