Something is lost when Barbie dolls and little red wagons make way for Facebook and surfing the internet. Technology and kids are alike in a major way. Both keep growing almost too quickly to keep up with.
Did technology have something to do with the younger generations growing up faster than usual? It’s quite possible.
As kids become more exposed to technology, like the internet, they are exposed to situations that they aren’t yet mature enough to handle. Things like cyber bullying become prominent issues in children’s social lives. Kids cyber bully others by pretending they’re someone they’re not when they’re online, by spreading rumors, by tricking people to reveal personal information, and by sending or forwarding mean text messages, according to the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) website (www.ncpc.org).
Cyber bullying isn’t the only problem. More and more teens are participating in “sexting” practices. “Sexting” refers to sending nude pictures or sexually explicit messages via cell phones and the internet. What kids don’t know is that “sexting” can have serious legal and psychological consequences, states the Connect Safely website (www.connectsafely.org).
Sending out nude photos, of yourself or others, is considered distribution of child pornography. If it gets out to other states, which it often does, it’s considered a federal felony, according to the Connect Safely website.
“Sexting” and cyber bullying are forcing kids to grow up faster than they should. Perhaps they do it because they are pressured by others, or perhaps they do it out of revenge. Whatever the reason, kids need to realize that these kinds of behavior are wrong and hurtful to all involved.
Technology also puts children at the mercy of sexual predators. Predators prey on unsuspecting kids who think they’re talking to another kid their age, or a few years older. One in four U.S. teen girls say they have met strangers off the internet, and one in seven U.S. teen boys say they have too, according to the Wired Safety website (www.wiredsafety.org).
Agreeing to meet with a stranger met in a chat room is a sign that kids are maturing at a ridiculous rate. They feel the need to connect with people, perhaps sexually, and they will do almost anything to feel like an “adult.” Should the blame be laid at the feet of the parents? It doesn’t seem that way. Sure, parents have the responsibility to teach their kids common sense when it comes to using the internet, but it’s the kids who are agreeing to go to these “meet-and-greets.”
In some ways, technology has pushed children to a level above even their own parents. They spend their time updating their blogs, chatting with friends, uploading pictures to Facebook, and editing movies. Meanwhile, their parents struggle with the most mundane of computer tasks. Of course, not all parents are inept when it comes to using the new technologies, just like not all kids are technologically savvy.
According to Robert Sylwester, a Professor of Education at the University of Oregon, there are digital natives and digital immigrants.
“Digital natives are those who… easily master the new electronic technologies,” said Sylwester, “Digital immigrants are those of us who came into this new [technological] environment later in life.”
Education systems are pushing for technology to be used more and more in the classroom. At RHS there are laptop carts that can be checked out to teachers for their students to use during class. Some teachers even have their students make movies or PowerPoint presentations about the subjects they are learning in class.
Appropriately used, technology has become a medium for developing higher order thinking skills, states the New Horizons website (www.newhorizons.org). Basically, it means that kids are getting smarter and more responsible, which means they’re getting more mature.
Technology isn’t something to be avoided or hated. It’s given society the chance to advance and progress more quickly than it could have on its own. Yes, children are growing up faster while they master the new technologies, but as long as they are smart about how they use them, aging isn’t necessarily a bad thing.