Judging by this headline, you would think that I am an “Anti-Tech”, someone who keeps a tight lid on my children’s television viewing, texting, Facebook posts…but I am not: I love Facebook, I (too) frequently text, leveraging multiple forms of media is what I do for a living. Once I took great pride in the fact that my son’s “Gameboy” and “Pokemon” instilled a very early and strong motivation for him to learn to read. Of course I didn’t realize ten years ago that Pokemon were really just a band of genies in a bottle – and you know what they say about genies: they rarely go back in the bottle.
So now my son is 15 years old, a quiet and solid high school student, but an obsessive “gamer”, a proud owner of a laptop and the requisite cell phone. And the horror stories I hear from other parents and see on the news surrounding teens, texting, videochats – cause me some anxiety. Teens’ use of ever-expanding social networks is an inherent and now a very natural way of communicating. But these communication channels are obscured from adult view – and if one “channel” is “compromised” – there’s always another one to secretly surf.
My concerns can be boiled down to the fear of exposure to and dissemination of “inappropriate” material as well as messages/opinions that are cruel and emotionally-devasting. So what’s a mother to do? I do not enjoy the role of policing – anything really – from homework assignments, through bedmaking, and now tech use. Our local police department strongly advised against removing tech devices, informing parents that the alternatives teens employ are more dangerous.
So at the moment my approach is self-education and using social networks to communicate with my kids – their way. In fact, I am taking my own advice, as my work entails selecting which social media channels are appropriate and effective in reaching teen audiences. Admittedly, my son did not want to “friend” me…but he relented when I promised not to humiliate him on his Wall by sending “motherly” messages. But now I have an opportunity to peek at what his friends are posting – as well as experience his sense of humor and quirky interests. And I still resort to an occasional, if “old school”, parental lecture about responsibility and technology. My husband and I have been known to text my son to tell him to get off his Xbox and go to bed. Seriously, he’s just one room away and we text him. Funny thing is – he texts us back immediately – turns off the Xbox – and the light.
So here are my questions: Could it be that navigating through modern day teen tech tentacles comes down to effective communications with your child? And if so, will it be enough? Believe me, I am open to suggestions.
