Growing Up Online

Here is an online video by PBS FRONTLINE about what it's like to grow up online: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/.

This video brings up some major issues regarding the Internet's impact on kids. There are kids who are finally able to express themselves and find others like them to talk to online. However, on the other hand, there are more opportunities for kids to bully other kids (outside of school), more opportunities to cheat, and more opportunities for the kids to fall victim to predators. Bottom line is, the Internet has become an intricate part of kids lives these days. The video showed that the moment kids came home from school, they were on their computer. What is scary for parents is that they have no idea what their kids are up to online. They can try to monitor, but they will never 100% be able to know what their kids are up to.

So how do I view the Internet's impact on kids? I think there has been both a positive and negative impact on the kids. However, I think the impact might be more negative than positive. As a concerned mother from the video said, her kids couldn't last more than an hour without being connected to the Internet to see what was going on in the cyber world. This dependence created between the kids and the Internet is bad. Kids need to learn how to communicate and be social in REAL life. It is easier to say things online than it is in person. This can lead to serious problems, such as cyberbullying, which one child from the video was a victim of. This resulted in him committing suicide.

I worry a lot about its impact. The Internet could be used as a great tool for students to learn. But it should not completely take over a person's life so that they can't live without it. I think as a teacher, I will struggle with how to use it in the classroom. As one teacher from the video said, he needs to incorporate technology into the classroom to keep his students interested. A teacher lecturing with a monotone voice and a chalkboard no longer works. However, allowing students to use computers means I also have to deal with the problem of them wandering to other sites to check out their Facebook or MySpace page - or even signing into aim to talk to each other. One teacher addressed how the Internet helps students cheat much easier than before. Teachers need to realize how much the Internet is taking over their students lives and try to figure out to work with it, instead of against it. If the Internet/technology is what students are using, then teachers need to be familiar with it as well in order to reach their students.

This video has really been eye opening. Before this, I hadn't really been completely aware of how much the Internet plays a role in kid's lives these days. So far, it seems like almost everyone has been completely pro-technology in the classroom. And I think for the most part, especially with what types of technology that we would incorporate into the math classroom, it would be beneficial. I think teachers just need to be aware of this impact and take it into consideration with situations that may arise in the classroom and with how they decide to structure their classroom.