Just why are kids are so attracted to life online?
Surveys show that today teens spend an average of 31 hours a week online, from social network sites, to online computer games, to just generally surfing the net. What’s the attraction? In a sense, freedom and independence explains Joanie Farley Gillispie, co-author of Cyber Rules. “Kids don’t have autonomy off-line, but they have it online. Kids can’t go anywhere they want to off-line, but they can online. And kids aren’t anonymous off-line, everyone tells them what to do because they’re kids, but online they can be anyone they want to be.”
Joanie also thinks that the Internet can be a powerful tool if we use if correctly. “Those constructs are driving the way kids, as well as adults, are online, and we need to understand the power of those constructs and make sure we use it for healthy development. So I really hope we can get just how the Internet is shaping our lives and learn how to use this magnificent technology before it uses us in ways that are very harmful.”
The Parent Report’s guest expert is Joanie Farley Gillispie, instructor at Berkeley City College and the co-author of Cyber Rules.
From the nationally syndicated radio show “The Parent Report”, hosted by Joanne Wilson and heard on more than 100 radio stations. Any advice or information contained herein should never be a substitute for professional and/or medical advice, diagnosis and treatment. For more information please review Terms of Service