With so many ways to digitally connect with each other without having to have a face to face conversation, I have started wondering some things. I have worked with teenagers for 12 years and I notice more and more that they will post things in texts messages or social media outlets that they wouldn’t have the guts to say otherwise. In a sense, I feel like I see things written out that wouldn’t even be polite or nice to say.
First World Problems
What do we do with a generation that is learning how to relate through these disconnected means? It is so hard to think that my children will be relating to their friends on a different playing field than I was when growing up. I’m not quite sure how to handle these advances with them. While I do personally enjoy texting, facebook, pinterest, and some of the other social media giants, I am experiencing this in the middle of my life. I’m not a young child being exposed to these ways of communications as my main forms of communicating.
How to Model Good Behavior With Social Media
I think that we have to model for our children the right ways to handle the advancing technology. Here are some things that I try to implement in my own home.
1. Dinner is off-limits– during our meal together at night, I do not answer texts, emails, or phone calls.
2. Time limit– I try to limit my personal computer time. While I work on my computer much of the day for my job, if I do not have to be on my phone or computer for those reasons, I try to limit my time.
3. Socialize– even though so many of my friends are busy, I try to make time to go out with them when we can. I invite people over, and let my children have their friends over. I think it is important to have humans in our home, not just skype or google hangouts.
So, do you think that social media and texting allow people to be bolder or more cowardly? Is it better to say things through those outlets you wouldn’t say to someone’s face? Or would it be better to only say the things in those outlets that you would willing say if to someone’s face?2. 3.
