Personally, I am not the hugest fan of the internet! For me there were more cons than pros for communicating on the internet with friends or strangers. Yet at the same time I realize that it is something that I can’t really live in this society with out ever touching. Although I would just like to mention that I recently met someone who does NOT have the internet at home!! Strange how that is so shocking! But the only time that he ever uses it is when he is on campus to check his e-mail and do whatever. So as much as I dislike the internet and as much as it bothers me on some level that I can’t quite grasp, I see that in a way I have been conditioned to it. It got me to thinking, the same thing would have happened when cell phones came out. There would have been people who said “I have never needed a cell phone before why would I need to get one now” So in a way it is a matter of conditioning….which is also a little bit strange to think about anyways.
Now I will appear as a hypocrite by saying that I love to play Game Cube and watch TV every now and again…because they too would have been strange to someone else and maybe even me (well Game Cube only) when they first came out. It just seems that the TV feels a little more natural to me in comparison to the internet. However, I do realize that its because when I was growing TV was just a reality, it was around before me and already apart of my parents lifestyle and what not. The internet, however, I guess would have made its appearance when I was in grade 2 and I was not allowed to go on without my parents watching. But I think that, that sensitivity has been lost, now young kids are allowed to go on when they are not under direct supervision. Which bothers me just a little bit, I think that parents should be more responsible when it comes to what their kids are seeing on the internet and the same thing goes for the TV. If I have learnt anything from the media as of yet, its that we can’t trust institutions and the media to decide what is safe for anyone to see, we need to be play as our own filtering system.
What is hard is you don’t want to shelter the kid, because then they are too naive and become what we would call ditzy and probably ignorant, but we don’t want them stumbling onto something so hardcore it might not just open their eyes but scar them. Internet Nannies are too much of a wide block that can block even content-sensitive websites. Then again, its only a matter of time before we don’t even think about internet filtering, theres nothing on the internet that isn’t at least hinted at somewhere on prime time tv, and our parents were fairly used to that and allowed us to watch it for the most part.
I think children should be educated about everything that is on the internet and told why they are supposed to avoid certain sites, or at least told why theres an Internet Nanny, because condescending kids is a main reason that they have such snoopy behaviour, they are curious! I remember when I was a kid and my mom would tell me NOT to go into the attic closet, just because she told me not to. Of course I did, and discovered the non-existance of the easter bunny, realities I would have to realize at some point in my life. Likewise, if kids are getting desensitized to violence and sex, it is not merely due to the fact that it is exposed to them through TV, video games, and the internet, but that parents are raising ‘tv kids’ who adopt tv morals instead of there parents morals, which they are exposed to less than tv.
I suppose that is my favorite thing about organized religion (really the the only thing I like about it), that it impresses a moralistic lifestyle. If only it were possible to separate that moralist tradition from the ignorance that creates it (buddhism has a good start, though more than a little pessimistic). We could perhaps imply for these arguments that high morals (what we would deem the high road) only comes with ignorance, that acceptance of reality automatically and implicitly is the acceptance of lesser morals. So the question that could be asked is whether realism or moralism is the more desirable. Being the curious, adventuring, scientific guy that I am I might say realism (notice the first person, a disclaimer for those who disagree, because its definitely a personal opinion). I suppose through my rantings I’m just trying to impress that education isn’t in ignorance, so it is important to be truthful and not protective.
p.s. tag, you’re it. told you i’d remember the site.
Great post! I absolutely agree that kids need restrictions when it comes to things like the internet, but it’s hard. Parenting is going to be so different for people our age than it was for our parents with us. It seems like there is so much more to worry about. Kids used to get kidnapped by random people on the playground, but now you have to worry about them making contact with people online. It’s just so disturbing in so many ways. The internet wasn’t really popular until I was in grade 7 and i remember having to sneek onto the computer to talk to my friends on icq and when i was at sleepovers at friend’s houses we’d stay up all night talking to people online. Sometimes making fun of people, posing as random people in chatrooms to entertain ourselves. Where was I going with this? haha. Anyways, I just think it’s interesting how quickly things change and how much parents have to worry about nowadays.
One of my friends doesn’t have a computer and obviously no Internet at home. I too find that shocking. I don’t know how anyone could live that way, but perhaps I have just been socialized in the electronic generation.
Children need limits and I think that a lot of parents do provide them. I feel that it’s wrong to assume the all parents are reluctant to supervise and watch out for their children though. What needs to change is the age at which children are given Internet freedom. It seems that children and younger and younger ages and allowed more freedom and less supervision. At the same time, they are expected to grow up so fast. What needs to change in the age at with Internet access without parents is acceptable. Also, sometimes no matter how hard to try to protect a child, they will make their way onto the Internet. For example, when I was younger, my parents worked, so when I would come home I would have free reign to the computer. All I needed to know what how to turn it on and how to work it. So in some cases, I would argue that parents are trying their best to protect their children, but no matter what, no one can ever be perfect in doing so.
I agree about the children being able to roam free on the internet is a bit unnerving. Parents can put on blocks to particular sites so that their children won’t be looking up and seeing things that they shouldn’t but I will tell you that from experience. If a kid wants to see something they will find a way. There are millions of websites to give them what they want whether it be a Music video, a game, or whatever there are sites upon site for them to see these things. without a parent standing over them all the time which most parents will not want to do how do we control what children do on the internet?
I love how my blog has turned into a debate over parenting techniques in relation to the interent! But Jeremy in reply to your comment I would just like to ask you: Do you think that when you have kids and some new technology comes forth that you are not familiar with or really understand (sort of like our parents and text messaging) that you will have that same type of mentality? I mean our parents were really the test dumbies on how to deal with kids and the internet, and by the time that you have a family I imagine that your kids will discover some technology that you will not quite be sure of…
So as for people who go on living thier lives without the internet… I drilled my friend on how he gets by without the internet at home, and he said that he has just never really needed it. I think that it might be because he is just completely computer illiterate (once I watched him google, google..haha). Sorry that is not the point, I was wondering how he keeps in contact with people, you know no msn or e-mail at home. This kid is the hugest Text Messager EVER. He just never stops, so maybe it is not a matter of how they get the info out there, just that they do.
Mandy,
in response to your question, i think that for sure i could be nervous about a new technology coming out, and i’m a protective kinda guy, which could lead to me being wary of what my possible future kids would be exposed to, but its the difference between lazy protectiveness (buying a cybernanny), and active protectiveness (educating your kid and not pulling the because-i-said-so card) that I am trying to emphasize. It is obvious that I can’t say I know that much about parenting, but I like to think that I’ll care enough about my kids to not leave them in the dark, where the imagination is most rampant.