Growing Up Online

The documentary, Growing Up Online, is extremely interesting to watch, especially since most of us grew up while the Internet was growing up as well. The Internet can be a great resource and has many advantages. It can be a place where kids go to escape from their parents; they can even create a new identity in their own private world. They can chat with friends or meet new people all in the privacy of their own home. Unfortunately, the Internet also creates problems, as shown in the video. While sometimes the Internet can create a safe place for kids to go to talk to friends, it can also lead to tragedy. Another issue is that parents often don’t know how to deal with their children using the Internet. Even though I think that the video was informative, there were also some problems with it as well.
Despite growing up using computers and the internet, I wasn’t using it nearly as young as some as the kids in the video were, probably because it used to tie up the phone line. Today, kids are starting to use the Internet at a much younger age. My 6 year old cousin actually asked me for my screen name and then showed me how she went onto her Webkins page, with no help from anyone else. It’s scary to see how big a part the Internet has today in kids lives. Since they are learning how to use it at such a young age, the problems also begin a lot earlier and most parents don’t know what goes on or what their kids are even doing. I’m sure some parents think it’s great that instead of worrying what their kids are doing if they go out, they know that they are safe in their rooms. Many parents as shown in the video don’t realize the numerous dangers such as sexual predators, cyber-bullying and even websites for people with eating disorders to feel at home. I think that it is important that parents teach kids how to use the internet safely, and explain to them that it is still important to act responsible. It is horrible to think about Ryan, the boy in the video who committed suicide because of the bullying he was encountering at school and online. I also think that they should educate kids about the internet in school and teach them how to use it for the right reasons.
A big issue for parents is that they didn’t grow up having this resource like we did, so it is hard for them to understand their kids when talking about the internet. Another problem is that many parents don’t know how to use computers well enough to see what goes on either. I think it is a good idea for parents to sit down with their kids and make sure that they are comfortable with talking to them about things, which I know is a lot easier to say than to actually do. The girl in the video was tired of not fitting in at school and simply wanted an outlet. She created her MySpace page. In the end, Autumn Edow’s parents accepted her and I think that created a better relationship between her and her parents.
Another thing to think about is the Internet and advertising. Online companies are often able to personalize ads just like they do according to shows on television. Different sites hold different ads and they pick which people visit sites more often. Companies usually find a target audience to which they aim to appeal to and find sites according to that data which could be based on age or gender. These social networking sites are great places to target teen audiences and many companies are realizing this.
It is clear that the Internet is becoming a main part of growing up today and it’s only going to get worse. However, I think that if parents and schools teach kid’s how to use the Internet responsibly at a young age, it can decrease some of the serious issues talked about in the video.