Growing Up Online

This documentary was a reality check of how the Internet has swept our nation into a different direction, and how teenagers are utilizing this tool. The views from specialists, authors, parents, teachers, and even teenagers show how they use the Internet in their daily lives, and are very dependent on it. There seems to be a disconnect from adults who grew up without all this technology and the children who were born as "digital natives," where they see the online web as a normal part of their daily lives. With the creation of the Internet, it has opened its doors to endless possibilities. Some people use it as a tool to help them create and learn new things, while other people use it to abuse or hurt other individuals. We see how teenagers rely on the Internet with schoolwork, and also interacting with other peers through social media. The documentary has emphasized how physical interaction with friends and other peers is slowly fading through time. There can be a negative impact of how teenagers use the web to express themselves or perhaps bully other teenagers using the computers. On the bright side, we see teenagers who have risen above the temptations and have made good life choices despite all the negativity that the Internet might bring. 

1. A survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that in 2004, 67 percent of parents said the Internet has been a good thing for their children. However, this number decreased to 59 percent in 2006. In 2012, 69% of parents of online teens said they were concerned about how their child’s online activity might affect their future academic or employment opportunities, with some 44% being “very” concerned. Cite some reasons why parental support for their children’s independent Internet use is decreasing. Why do you think the number of parents who reported the Internet being a good thing for their children has decreased? 

Many teenagers use the Internet as an outlet for self-expression, a place to rant about adults or to connect to people online, whether they may know them or not. Anne Collier, author of MySpace Unraveled states, “It’s really to control what our kids are doing online. What we have here is kind of the new Wild West, no one’s really in charge.” Teenagers are basically doing whatever they want to do online. They are pretending to be someone who they’re not, lying about their age or what they look like. Most teenagers are glued to the chairs in front of the computers, and rely on the Internet heavily. This takes the interactions that parents used to have with their children. One of the fathers in the documentary says that it is difficult to pry their son away from the computer. The only way that works with communicating is through email, and that usually gets his attention. Although parents attempt to track their children’s activity online, teenagers are smart enough to find loophole from this security monitor. 

2. More teachers are using tools to try to detect cheating or deter students’ inclination to cheat. In the program, we see the use of plagiarism-detection tools like Turnitin.com and writing assignments completed during class time to make sure students do their own work and generate their own ideas. How can we as educators stop students from using material they found online as their own work? Should that be considered cheating, in your opinion? 

I think that teachers should spend time to teach rephrasing or re-summarizing information from the web. I think that the Internet is a good resource for completing papers or projects, but we have to form a habit of putting this information in our own words. I also like the idea of completing writing assignments in class to prevent cheating. However, if students use the entire period writing the assigned paper, then there wouldn’t be enough time for teachers to teach what they need to in order to comply with curriculum and standards. It is considered cheating if the students copy the sentences, or paragraphs, word-for-word. However, if students were able to learn from this information and summarize it in their own words, then I wouldn’t consider it cheating. However, we should never tolerate cheating. One of the teacher claims the way we react to how students use the Internet should be more tolerable, and that we should be able to “accept” this reality. I completely disagree with this. I do not believe in plagiarism, and claiming someone’s work as their own. I think if we tolerate this, then we are sending the message that we don’t think the students are capable of doing work on their own. 

3. One student claims he "never reads books" but relies on summaries and annotated notes he finds on Web sites. He confesses that he feels guilty about this, stating, "I feel like I kind of cheated it." In your opinion, should he feel guilty? Why or why not? 

I have mixed opinions about one the student’s statement. I do believe that most of the high school students feel like they don’t have time to do school work because of sports, or because they might have to work or have other responsibilities. I empathize with students who feel overwhelmed with having great amount of work, and very little time. I have been guilty of using Spark Notes, I feel like I did not heavily rely on this as much as teenagers do nowadays. However, whenever our teacher would assign books or readings, I felt like I did not have a choice but to actually read them. I believe that teenagers are becoming less and less motivated to learn. Therefore, I feel that relying way too much on Internet resources such as Spark Notes will not help students learn about important lessons in school. With technology being very accessible now, high school kids will not have the opportunity to enjoy reading old-fashioned books. 

4. Before the Internet, in order to be seen by the world, you had to be portrayed in some form of mass media, and you had to be famous in some respect -- in the news, in politics or as a celebrity. Now anyone can be seen online by anyone else in the world. Some people have become famous for videos or photos they’ve posted (such as Autumn Edows). In your opinion, should people like Edows, or others who become “ famous” through their online presence, be considered “celebrities?” Has the ability to create an online persona, and receive worldwide attention for it, affected our cultural values? 

I don’t think that people like Edows should be considered as celebrities, and shouldn’t be encouraged to post racy pictures to gain peoples’ attention. She is only a teenager, and although sexuality can be a big part of that age, she shouldn’t display her life stories to the Internet community. I think that people should be admiring “celebrities” who are role models and can inspire other teenagers to make good life choices. I am all for freedom of expression, and being able to share what we feel and what we think. However, when it comes to pretending to be someone else, and creating a different online persona, then I am not an advocate for people who dabble into that. I think that teenage girls should be able to learn to accept themselves for who they are, and for what they are. It is important to value oneself, and develop that confidence because we are all different, and we all portray a different role in our community. I believe that people like Jessica should have another positive way to express themselves. They should find another outlet where other people, instead of stripping their clothes to gain attention, can appreciate them. She can participate in sports, engage in theater, and even take part in art classes. 

5. Shows like "To Catch a Predator" on Dateline NBC (http://www.nbcnews.com/id/10912603/) contribute to parental anxiety about online media. It is obvious that certain elements of programs like “To Catch a Predator,” and even this documentary, will likely increase parents’ fears. Cite one current event from the past year where a young person has been affected (positively or negatively) by being active online. (find a link to a news story, describe it in your answer to this question, and provide the link as well). 

Police Investigating Nude Photo Collage Involving Westerville Students http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2014/04/08/westerville-nude-photo-collage.html 

Parents do have that fear whether or not their children are making good decisions when using the Internet or their smart phones. Having the Internet being so accessible nowadays, everything is within reach. There’s really not much that parents can do to monitor what their children look up online. They just need to sometimes let go, and trust that they make the right decisions, and if they don’t, then they will have to suffer the consequences. This article just came out recently. This viral picture showing naked pictures of Westerville students has affected students in Westerville. As a result, parents worry if their child was ever involved in this, or if their child will engage in sending inappropriate pictures or messages of themselves. It is the parents’ role to instill that value being able to be mature when making good choices, and also thinking about the consequences that will come with it. As long as the parents raised their children in a way that they value respect and modesty, then their children will know what to do in their teenage years. 

6. Teasing, lying, gossiping, threatening, spreading rumors or harassing online (and offline)can severely affect people’s self-concept and self-esteem and have an impact on their emotional state. In the program, we see one girl who describes flirting with boys and then revealing she was just kidding. She explains: "You wouldn’t do that to someone’s face, but online is completely different. ... No one can do anything. You’re at your house, they’r e at their house." In her quote, this teen is describing Suler’s disinhibition effects. Which one do you think it is, and why? 

I think that the teen is describing Invisibility Disinhibition Effect, where online cannot see your face, which gives them the confidence to say certain things to them online. When someone is anonymous, they have more of a confidence to say things without censoring their thoughts. When people are communicating online, they cannot see any emotion, or any facial expression from the other person. Therefore, it is easier to just express what they are thinking at that moment. 

7. At the end of the program, Greg decides it’s time for him to "disconnect" by going to the Coast Guard Academy, where he will spend seven weeks without cell phones or the Internet. 

Have you ever thought about "disconnecting" from it all? 

I have thought about disconnecting from social media during the Lenten period, but I have never been able to do so. I think that is difficult for me to disconnect with the Internet, and my phone because I feel that it is very much part of me. However, if I know that I am with the people that matter to me, and then I don’t think I need any type of technology around me. I just like the idea knowing that I know they are safe, and they are with me 

Do you think it would be easy or difficult for you personally? 

I think it would difficult in the beginning to wean myself from all this technology, but I personally think that it is possible for me to do so. When I was growing up, we weren’t really into the online world. We spent our time playing outside with friends, or actually physically interacting with them. I was already in high school when I owned my cell phone, and I was in my 20s with I started using smart phones. Therefore, I think that it would be easier for me to disconnect myself from these technologies better than the younger generations. 

What would you enjoy or dislike about disconnecting? 

I will dislike not being able check into social media like Facebook or Instagram. I also wouldn’t like the fact that I cannot communicate easily with the people around me. In addition, I wouldn’t be able to efficiently do my homework with the help of the Internet. I think that I would enjoy being able to converse to people in an old fashioned way, instead of texting to chatting. I think that we should value human conversations and being able to appreciate human expression. I also think that I would enjoy the silence from all the hustle and bustle of the busy media world… But only maybe for a while ☺